Immortal Wolves
by anita11
Summary: I was happy but when my daughter was born, I finally understood what pure love was. The only darkness in our happiness was that our daughter was human... as much as I loved that my daughter had the opportunity of a normal life, I was selfish enough to want her to phase – to live forever with us. Original Pairs. Sequel to Immortal. OC/NC. Rated M for Adult subjects. Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ****This is the sequel to Immortal and it takes place 11 years after Immortal. This story will mainly revolve around Renesmee's daughter but Leah's son and Paul's Daughter are also a big part of the story. We will see exactly how special these kids are and how they will change the immortal world. We will also see what happened to many of the characters from Immortal, especially Duilio Volturi. Needless to say, the Volturi will play a big part in the kids lives. **

**A/N: If you did not read Immortal, I suggest that you read it but I tried to include some background info in case you do not want to read Immortal and for those of you who need a review of the previous story. As usual, if the chapter is new, please review! I love to hear your input and t helps me clarify things in the story that are unclear. As with the previous story, I will try to post chapters once a week so put me on your alerts so that you don;t fall behind. It is very important for me to get your input ASAP in case I need to edit or clarify something the next chapter. If there is something you don't understand, let me know. If there is something that makes you mad, please don't stop reading. The bad things that happen in my story have a purpose so bare with me because all will be revealed in due time. As I've said before, t****here is a reason to my madness. Finally, p**lease keep the reviews coming!

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Renesmee **

I was a very lucky. I grew up with the love of my life and it helped me build a relationship with Jacob that was beyond what words could explain. I was happy but when my daughter was born, I finally understood what pure love was. I was surprised by the intensity of the love I felt for my daughter. Sarah Bell Black was the light of our lives. She had come as a surprise to all of us. Even my psychic aunt Alice, was shocked because, my daughter was human. If she weren't human, aunt Alice probably wouldn't have seen my vampire mother holding my daughter in her arms before I even knew I was pregnant.

Sarah was a precious baby. She was constantly smiling and giggling. She had an infectious smile that brought light to all those around her. It was her father's smile. The only darkness in our happiness was that our daughter was human. Kal (Leah's husband), Harry (Leah's son), and aunt Alice were all sure that she would phase when she was older and, as much as I loved that my daughter had the opportunity of a normal life, I was selfish enough to want her to phase – to live forever with us.

The problem was that the Volturi would be keeping a close watch on her until she turned. They declared that if she remained human, then her children, my grandchildren, may know our secret but no one else beyond the third generation. Knowledge of the supernatural had to stop at the third generation. What bothered me the most about this edict was that it was given by Duilio Volturi, the man that in the past I had loved as my own brother. His betrayal hurt me beyond words could express. As angry as I was, I missed him terribly. I remember that first night after the edict like it was yesterday. I kept it together on the plane ride home but once we got to our house I completely fell apart. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be happy for my, proud of having a little niece. That night Jacob had to pick me up from the floor where I was crying. He took me in his arms to our bed and peppered me with kissed as I cried myself to sleep. It took me a week to stop crying and a part of me is never going to get over what happened. My consolation was that my daughter was safe and happy. She was a living reminder that I had enough love in my life.

My husband Jacob was the alpha of the pack. When I was born, the pack was divided. Sam was alpha to Quill, Brady, Jared, Collin, Paul, Embry, andJeremy. Only Leah and Seth were in Jacob's pack; however, later on, Quill, Embry, Paul and Brady joined Jacob's pack and 3 younger wolves joined Sam's Andrew, Stephen, and Mica. I went to high school with Andrew, Steven, and Mica along with my two human best friends Anna (Brady's imprint) and Carol (Stephen's imprint). But the pack didn't stop there. Ryan and Mitch also joined the pack after I was in college; however, they only joined our pack when Sam and Jared retired. Shortly after Jacob and I graduated college and had our daughter we moved to a cabin estate that my family had built for the pack. By the time we moved, my brother in law Paul had stopped phasing along with Brady, Stephen, and Andrew (who found his imprint when he went to college). Eventually, Mica got a job in another town and imprinted on one of his coworkers. I was happy he finally got his turn.

My family built the pack an enormous estate near a Quileute reserve and for a time the entire pack lived there at some point. Quill, Collin, Jeremy, Mica, and Leah all lived in the estate for about a two years. Seth opted to stay with the Cullens in Denali in order to be with his imprint, Eve who is my youngest aunt. Embry decided to stop phasing. He moved out and tried to become human because he was trying to fall out of love with Leah after she imprinted.

Ryan and Mitch graduated high school and went to college. Ryan imprinted and stopped phasing almost immediately after. Mitch decided to follow Embry's example and stopped phasing even though he hadn't imprinted. He joined a church and was happy to leave the monsters behind. Jeremy imprinted on a 7 year old but he decided he rather live on his own than stay with us or more importantly with me. Not all the wolves were happy to have a half leech in the pack.

Leah and her imprint Picha Kal (who used to be Taha Aki in a different life), their sons Harry and little Liam had an entire section of the house to themselves. Quill decided to live in the cabin for a while until Claire graduated high school and then they both moved in together in Seattle. Eventually, Embry and Quill decided to open a web design business together in Seattle so their business could grow. Around this time, Embry finally was able stop phasing which he was happy about. He eventually found a nice woman who he decided to marry. She was not able to know about the wolves which cause some problems between Embry and Jake but they eventually worked it out. Embry and his wife had two kids and were settled in Seattle. He visited often because he discovered that he was Paul's half-brother. Embry and Paul became even closer and he was a great uncle to Paul's girls as well as my daughter.

Paul and Rachel graced us with two beautiful nieces. Paulina, aka Lina and Emma Lahote. They were precious to Jacob and me. Lina and Sarah grew up to become best friends, like sisters. Both girls and Leah's youngest son Liam were inseparable growing up. We called them the three musketeers. We were sure that Lina and her sister Emma would become wolves but we were not sure about Liam and Sarah. Sarah had my dna messing things up and Liam had his father, Kal's. Picha K'al or Kal as we called him, was the spirit of Taha Aki in the body of an eagle. His eagle was magnificent. Though his scent was not as advanced as the wolves', his eyesight was ten times better than any wolf or vampire. With him around, protecting the tribe was easy.

Kal was very protective of his descendants, even though he wasn't genetically linked to any of them is his new form. Because he was so detached from this world and our customs, we decided that, instead of working, his full time job would be to protect the job during the day. This would give the wolves a chance to lead normal lives. They would only need to patrol at night in shifts so that Kal could have time with his family. Leah and her husband Kal were happy with the arrangement. I was happy that they had found each other. And I was also happy that our children all grew up together.

Harry (Leah's oldest son), Chris (Rosalie's adopted son) and Eve (Esme's adopted daughter), grew up together at New Hampshire and were as inseparable as our three musketeers. Liam, Sarah and Lina grew up together at our new home in LaPush. Over the years the kids became more like siblings than cousins. I was glad for this because like myself, my daughter had trouble fitting in. The difference was that my mind was advanced enough to understand and process what was happening, Sarah's wasn't. My daughter was human and she developed at a human pace.

Many of the kids at school knew about the wolves because they were the children of former pack members Jared, Sam, and Jeremy all had kids that were about 2-3 years older than our kids but only Sam and Jared's boys were old enough to phase. Andrew, Brady, and Stephen's kids were a few years younger than our musketeers. Brady and Stephen's kids came to visit often and played with our kids but sadly not the rest. Though Andrew would accept our barbecue invitation sometimes, he, the other wolves and their kids would spend most of their weekends at Sam's. However, he loved Sarah so it was a surprise when his kids were bullying my Sarah. The other kids were also unkind to my daughter, because I was a half vampire half human hybrid.

Sarah was a beautiful girl, with light russet skin and wavy black hair. She looked a lot like her father; however, she was also a little overweight and tall which made it easy for them to target her. One day in elementary school, she refused to go to school. Jacob got stern with her for the first time and she burst into tears, refusing to talk to any of us. It was Liam who told us that the kids at school were picking on her. He and Lina had been getting into many fights at school and that was when we found out that they were getting in fights because they were protecting my daughter. Jacob was furious and he talked to all of the parents. Andrew and his imprint/wife Amy were horrified by this. Andrew and I had become allies in high school and he was furious with his two girls. Mica was also upset because one of the girls was his imprint Ally. He couldn't believe that his precious Ally was a bully. Andrew and Amy made their girls come to our home to personally apologize to us. Emily also made her boys apologize. Sam wasn't with her but Emily claimed he was very mad at the boys. Emily and Andrew were the only ones who made their kids apologize. I was saddened by this. I hated that my daughter was getting bullied and by the time she was in middle school we decided to move to Forks so that she could go to a different school. It was a tough decision because Paul and Rachel weren't in a position to move so Lina would have to stay in the reservation school. It was heart breaking to separate them but Lina was also 2 years older so she had other friends that would help her adjust. Liam and Sarah continued middle school in Forks and our lives were back to normal. However, all good things must come to an end.

* * *

**Sarah _11 years old..._**

I didn't want to go to the stupid new school. It didn't matter where they sent me. I would still be a fat tall freak. On top of that, I had most of my father's rugged features and rugged doesn't look feminine on a girl and everyone would make fun of me. Why couldn't I be like my cousin Lina? She was feminine, cute and petite. Liam was lean and handsome. Even Liam's features were softer than mine. I hate this! Its all parent's fault! My mom has stupid vampire metabolism doesn't let her gain weight and she always cooks too much food because the wolves don't know anything about proper proportions. My dad also has superfast metabolism because he was a wolf. Why couldn't I be a vampire like mom or a wolf like daddy? No, I had to be human. Ugh!

Liam was sweet and he took my hand when we walked into our new homeroom. Liam was sweet like uncle Seth but fiercely protective like uncle Kal and aunt Leah. I could feel uncle Kal flying around somewhere, making sure we were ok.

"Hi kids. I'm Mrs. Smith. I have two seats ready for you over there." She told us and pointed to the two open seats on the left row. We sat and started our new semester. By third period, everyone knew who we were. Liam was already popular and I was popular by association. I was Liam's fat cousin.

During lunch, Liam and I sat together and several other people came to sit with us. Everyone talked to Liam and no one even noticed me. In fact, the seat next to me was empty. I got up and went to throw out my trash when I bumped into a smaller girl. She was the cute type and I was already bracing myself for the worst.

"Are you ok? Gah! I'm so clumsy!" She told me. She looked genuinely worried which made me feel a little better.

"I'm fine. It was my fault. I'm sorry. Sometimes I don't realize were my body is going." I told her truthfully but she laughed as if I were joking. We picked up our trash and threw it away.

"My big brother was like that, at least that's what he says. He is super tall, all legs and arms. I got all the short genes." She shrugged and I smiled at her.

"My name is Mackenzie, but everyone calls me Mac. You're new here right?" She looked at me with a bright smile that reminded me of auntie Alice.

"Yes. My name is Sarah. That over there is my cousin Liam." She turned around to look the direction that I was pointing to and nodded.

"I saw him in second period. He seems nice."

"He is." I said sadly when I saw the twinkle in her eyes. She liked him, it was probably the only reason why she was talking to me.

"You are so much taller than him already. Ooh! You should try out for the volleyball team. I'm in the team too. I'm little but I am fast." Mac wiggled her eyes and I laughed. She was funny.

"I think I might like that." The warning bell rang.

"What class do you have next?" She asked me.

"Math with Mr. Levi." I liked math. Math was one of my easier subjects.

"Awesome! I got him too! We can sit together. Are you good at math?" She asked hopeful.

"I'm ok. I got all A's so far."

"Then we'll definitely sit together. Mr. Levi likes to put us in groups for the worksheets. I _always_ need help!" Mac grunted displeased at herself and then she strung her arm across mine and walked me over to my next class. I looked back at Liam and he was looking at me confused then he shrugged his shoulders and got up to go to his next class.

After school, Mac 'made' me try out for the volleyball team. Liam sat at the bleachers and shook his head every time I missed. I wasn't any good at it but coach saw some kind of potential because I made the team.

"We'll definitely have to work on your serve." Mac said as she walked with us to the parking lot.

"And her hits, and her blocks and her sets." Liam teased and nudged me with his elbow.

"All in good time, Liam. She'll do great, you'll see. Well there's my ride. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Mac shouted out at she got into her brother's car. Momma and aunt Leah came to pick us up together. We walked over and got into the back of the car.

"You two know we've been waiting for over an hour. Why the hell do we pay for cell phones if you don't use em?" Aunt Leah grumbled as soon as we got into the car.

"Aw and here I thought I was showing my little she wolf a good time." Momma told her smiling. Aunt Leah rolled her eyes and sat back on her seat.

"So who was the girl?" She asked us when momma got out of the parking lot.

"That was Sarah's new friend, Mac. She made Sarah try out for the volleyball team and made the team so now they're bff's." Liam told her. I glared at him.

"You made the team! Maybe you didn't inherit your grandma's genes after all." Momma said excited.

"Oh no, she inherited them. You should have seen how…" I smacked his leg and he laughed.

"Liam! I made the team! Can't you just be happy for me and shut it!" He was a combination of both sweet and mean, sometimes I forgot about that last part.

"I _am_ happy." He said smiling and then he squeezed my hand. Well, I guess I could forgive him.

"Well at least somebody had a productive first day. How was _your day_ Liam?" Aunt Leah teased.

"He flirted with almost all the girls at school and he got the entire male population at school to hate him." I told her.

"Ha! I had a more productive day than you." He told me and stuck his tongue out.

When I got home we all gathered at the kitchen and I told them about Mac and tryouts. Everyone was happy for me and dad, aunt Leah and Collin went out with me to help me with my volleyball before dinner.

Mackenzie was a big surprise in my life. She wasn't just in the volleyball team, she was also in the lacrosse team, and softball team. I could see why she wanted to be my friend. She was pushy and very talkative. She was one of those people that did not like quiet moments and I quickly figured out that some of the other girls found it annoying. I loved it! She reminded me of an excited puppy, always in your face not willing to be ignored. Sadly that was what many of the girls at school did. They ignored her and they ignored me but I didn't care. I prefer that they ignore me to teasing me any day.

Mac and I spent almost all of our time together. I didn't forget about Liam. He hung out with us during lunch and he watched us practice after school with his new friends. Momma and daddy even agreed to let me sleep over at her house my first weekend of school. Mac was the youngest of three children. Her parents died when she was a baby in a car accident. Her oldest brother, Kevin and his wife, Leslie, took care of her. Kevin was a police officer and had worked with great grandpa Charlie. Leslie was a computer programmer and worked from home. The middle brother, Mike, was some big time entrepreneur in New Mexico. Her older brother was only her half-brother but the middle brother was always so busy that he gave up custody of her to Kevin and Leslie so that Mac could have a more stable life. He comes over to visit her often. Momma said they all seemed like a very nice family so she felt safe leaving me with them for a sleep over.

"So what do you want to do first?" She asked me as soon as I walked in with my bag. She was already bouncing.

"Give her a chance to get in the house first Mac." Leslie told her laughing. Momma walked in to say hi to her.

"Hi Leslie. Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too Nessie. Do you want a cup of coffee or tea?"

"I'd love one!" Mom told her and they both walked over to kitchen as Mac and I went up the stairs. They had a nice house because her other brother, Mike, declined his inheritance because he didn't need it. It wasn't as extravagant as any of the Cullen homes but it was big and pretty. Mac's room was purple and green and very cluttered. She had a lot of dolls and stuffed animals all over.

"Ok, I have movies, _video games_, music, _video games_, board games, _video games_, or we could go make fun of people on facebook."

"Ok ok! Let's listen to some music …" I paused to look at her pout and then I laughed, "and play video games."

"Perfect!" We played video games until it was time for dinner. After dinner, we watched movies and ate ice-cream with her brother and sister. Around 9 pm they sent us off to our room and we went on the computer to look at other student's facebook pictures. We talked most of the night. Sometime around 3 am we both fell asleep. It was my first sleepover as well as hers. We had a lot of fun and became even closer. It was nice to finally have a friend who wasn't related to me. She didn't have to care about me but she did anyway and that made her more special somehow. We were going to be best friends forever. I had no doubts about that.

* * *

Mac and I were inseparable now. People at school usually ignored us but on the volleyball court we could not be ignored. Mac was fast and I was strong. I was getting better at playing. I wasn't very good but I could hit the ball harder than all the other girls and once practiced, I became really good at blocking. Mac would catch the ball to set it for me and I would hit the ball as hard as I could. We were a team. Mac even came over for dinner the night of Momma's birthday. Her birthday fell on a weekday this year so we just had a small gathering. Only grandpa Charlie and grandma Sue came over as well as uncle Paul and his family of course.

Usually we would all drive up to Denali to meet up with the rest of the family but this year, momma wanted to have a 'grown ups' night in Seattle with Daddy, aunt Leah and uncle Kal, and uncle Seth and aunt Eve were both driving down from Anchorage to meet them in Seattle. They were going eating, dancing and spending the night in the town. There were other wolves living in the house; however, they still asked for reinforcements so Chris, Harry and his wife Kara flew down from Denali to help 'babysit' Liam and me. I told them we didn't need babysitting but they never listened to me. I missed my cousins Harry, Chris and Kara. Chris and Kara were half vampires and they were awesome. Chris was aunt Rosie and Uncle Emmett's adopted son and Kara was Tanya and Nahuel's niece/adopted daughter. Chris was a tracker and Kara had the ability to turn vampires and hybrids into humans with the palm of her hands. She always wore long black gloves and long clothing, just in case her power transferred to her skin because the evil Volturi forbade her from using her powers. They said it was a risk. Bah! Stupid Volturi always tried to ruin our lives.

Harry was the only one who could touch Kara because he was genetically different from everyone else. He was a mutation caused when a vampire raped aunt Leah. Grandpa said that when a vampire and a wolf have babies the cells mutate so that they are neither vampire nor wolf which made me even more a freak. My mother is a half vampire and my dad is a wolf. Nobody knows why I turned out to be human. Aunt Rose says its because I am a miracle. I say its because I'm cursed! I wished so badly that I could be a vampire or a wolf. Oh well...

It was going to be a fun weekend. My parents and Liam's parents left on Friday morning so Collin picked us up after school. Aunt Rachel brought Lina so that she could sleep over for the weekend. Harry, Chris and Kara came over in the afternoon.

"I can't wait until they come!" I told Lina as we shared a bowl of ice cream.

"Me either. I haven't seen Chris in a while." She told me. She had a huge crush on him since two years ago when he snuck us all out to a midnight movie and she fell asleep against his shoulder. Chris always let us do things that our parents would never allow us to do which was why we all loved him. Chris saw us all as his little cousins. Lina was 13, so she also fell under the little cousin category and she hated it. We spent most of the afternoon going through mom and aunt Leah's closet to get something for her to wear that made her look older.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" I asked her.

"No." She told me sadly. "But its worth trying. He's worth me making a fool of myself." She said as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Maybe you need more than just a change of clothes." I told her skeptically.

"What do you mean?" Lina tried on my mom's earrings and smiled satisfied when she looked at herself.

"Maybe you need to shock him. Talk to him as a grown up." Chris was a happy, open and carefree guy but he was never going to be open minded enough to go for a 13 year old.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" She asked me. I honestly didn't know.

"I don't know. Its just an idea." She opted for some skinny jeans with momma's favorite heels and a loose translucent blouse that had a tight tank top underneath. I accessorized the outfit with a belt and I pulled her hair to the side with a decorative pin. I may be tall and fat but I was still half Cullen so I knew how to dress.

"Eep! I look so good! I have missed you so much! No have no idea!" She told me and I rolled my eyes at her.

"Sure sure. You mean you missed my fashion sense." She giggled.

"That too." She said and then she hugged me. We walked to the kitchen when we heard the door open.

"Honey! I'm home!" Chris yelled out as he came into the foyer. I ran over to him and he picked me up easily. Liam went over to his brother Harry and gave him a big hug while Lina stood by the hall trying to look cute for Chris.

"Seriously kid. Did you get taller?" Chris asked me. I shrugged.

"Maybe a few inches." Kara came over and gave me a hug.

"Well she is on the volleyball team now." Liam told them

"Volleyball? You? I hope you took video little bro cause this I gotta see." Harry told Liam. I crossed my arms and grunted. Even my stupid family made fun of me.

"Is this why you come to visit? To make fun of me?" I tried not to pout. Harry laughed and pulled me into his arms.

"Aww. I missed that little pout." He told me. Chris laughed and then he walked over to Lina.

"Wow. Look at you kiddo. You sure grew up fast. So how many boys am I going to have to kill?" He told Lina behind me. I turned around just in time to see her blush.

"Thanks. You look grown up too." I saw her blush even further and Chris laughed and gave her a quick hug. Kara immediate stepped in and hugged her dragging her to the kitchen while she asked her a bunch of questions about school. I followed them to the kitchen and we started talking about the new school. We all talked for a few hours before we headed out to the tribal bonfire.

Grandpa Billy and aunt Rachel would be telling the story this time. Collin and Randy, one of the other wolves that lived with us, were out for a run so when they got back we left for the bonfire. I was glad for it. I was starting to feel sorry for Lina and her terrible attempts at flirting. Chris had come to a few tribal bonfires when he was younger but he had never heard aunt Rachel talk about the legends so he decided to come with us. Normally, Cullens wouldn't be allowed but Chris and Harry were usually tied at the hip so he was allowed in our lands at any time. He was the first non-imprinted hybrid allowed in our lands followed by Kara before she married Harry. You would think that they were finally starting to diversify but it was all bullshit. Sam and his old pack still hated us.

There was a clear division between the Cullen allies and the Cullen haters. I really hated these events. I said hi to my grandfather and took my seat between Collin and Mica. Ally, one of my bullies, was sitting at Mica's other side but Mica was blocking me from her line of sight. She was younger than me but she was still a bitch! I liked to sit between two wolves because they were big enough to hide my from people's stares. Collin put his arm around me when they told the story about my grandmother. I hated this part the most. I could hear the mumbles but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Chris always tried to lighten the mood by making jokes during the ceremony. Grandpa Billie would always glare at him but I could tell that he was trying not to laugh at some of Chris's comments. After the storytelling portion of the evening everyone started eating. I saw Lina and Chris walk off and I mentally wished her good luck.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Made adjustments to Ch 1. Here is chapter 2. Enjoy your 2 chapter night!**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Chris**

"Be careful with her Chris. She likes you and human girls are very sensitive at this age." Kara warned me before we left for the bonfire. Lina was a sweet girl. She was growing up so fast. I really hated that our relationship was changing. Fuck! She was like a little sister, like Sarah and Liam, what the hell was I going to do about this? I sat next to Harry and Kara by the bonfire. I noticed that Sarah sat between the two wolves trying to hide. Poor kid. It was hard for all of us dealing with some of the pack members' antagonism. It must be even harder for her. Harry had to deal with a lot of their bullshit but he had the mind of an adult and he had Eve and me for support. Sarah didn't have that luxury. Over the years I saw her slowly retreat into herself. We all saw it. Edward and Bella both tried to talk to her parents so that they moved out of this stupid reservation but I think the change came too late. She has so much potential but her insecurities stopped her from truly blossoming.

I listened carefully as Rachel took over and told the story of the cold ones. She was really good. I looked over at Paul and his daughters. They all looked so proud. Lina's younger sister Emma was 8 now and she looked so much like Rachel it was scary. Lina kept looking at me when Rachel talked about the cold ones. She smiled shyly at me a few times. I was in deep shit. I tried to make funny coments as Rachel talked about the Cullen side of the story, mostly because it would piss off Sam and his buddies.

It was fun watching Rachel tell the story. I had Brady's youngest on my lap and we both booed when they talked about the Volturi. Rachel smiled every time. After the storytelling portion of the evening, they fired up the grill and started the party. I grabbed a beer and was on my way to talk to Paul and Rachel when Lina intersected me.

"So what did you think? My mom did a good job right?"

"She was amazing. You should be very proud." I told her.

"I am. Hey I'm going to walk down the beach while the food cooks. Do you wanna come with me?" Crap!

"Uh… Sure sweetheart." I told her. I saw Harry laugh and Kara gave me her 'be careful' look. We walked down to the beach and away from the crowd until they disappeared behind us. I could tell, though my gift, that the guys had to be playing football and I was starting to get more and more anxious to get back. I was starting to think she could tell that I wanted to leave because she kept asking question after question about me. My favorite color, my favorite movie, my favorite singer, music genre… It was exhausting. I answered each question and then I decided to change the subject.

"So tell me about school. You must have all the boys running after you." Maybe if I refocused her interest she would leave me alone.

"I don't like any of the boys at school. Most of them don't know about my family and the ones who do were mean to Sarah. I only wish I was wolf so that I could rip their buts off." I laughed and sat on a large piece of driftwood. She sat close to me. Really close.

"You're a little hellion aren't you? So do you miss having Liam and Sarah every day at school?"

"Yea. I really do. I talked to mom and dad and they said if I really want to they can try to send me to Forks middle school." I was surprised. I didn't realize it would be that bad for her.

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes. I would miss some of my old friends but I miss Sarah and Liam more. It doesn't feel the same without them." I guess, I knew what she meant. Harry, Eve and I also had a sick attachment to one another. Seth kept trying to convince Eve to do doctors across borders but she just couldn't bare the thought of being away from all of us. He was starting to wear her down but I knew it would be hard for her.

"Yea, I guess the three of you are like triplets. You guys remind me a lot of Harry, Eve and me." I told her and patted her hand. She looked at me and I saw the intention clear on her face. Crap, crap, crap! She leaned towards me quickly but I stopped her before she could make contact with my lips. She had her eyes closed and when she opened them I could see the traces of silver that rimmed them.

"Lina, I'm sorry. You are such a sweet girl and I am sure you will make some lucky guy really…" She got up and ran off before I could finish.

"Damn it!" I sighed and got up. I was going after her but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"You're the last person she wants to see. Give her a moment to compose herself. She'll be fine." Kara told me.

"This really sucks!" Mica and the other guys were playing football nearby so I knew they must have heard what happened too. I sighed again and walked over to the bonfire to get a burger. Sarah was eating with her little cousin and Rachel. Paul, Billy, Jared, and Collin were all talking about last night's game. I walked over to them to join the conversation. Jared shifted uncomfortably. I was about to tell them that there was another game next week when Sarah gasped loudly and started shaking.

"Sarah?! Baby what's wrong?" Rachel asked quickly.

"Lina!" Sarah cried and I instantly scanned the area and gasped when I saw a fading shadow by the rocky reef area. I ran at super human speed to Lina's location. The other wolves ran after me as soon as they heard.

As soon as I got to the reef, I realized what happened. There was a large boulder and she must have fallen off it. I got to her first and got on the phone immediately when I saw the horrific sight. Lina had not only fallen into the jagged rocks but a piece of driftwood had impaled her at the side. Her legs and lower body landed on the rocks and the driftwood branch came out from under the sand and had her pierced through her left ribs like a damn pin. There was so much blood that I had a hard time breathing.

"Its ok Lina. I'm here. You're ok." I told her as moved her hair aside. Her head had landed on the sand but there was so much blood loss that she could still suffer brain damage. My worry was that her heart was beating too slowly. Finally he picked up so I put him on speaker phone and dropped the phone next to me.

"Grandpa! There's been an accident. Lina's hurt I… I don't know what to do." I told him. My voice broke towards the end and that's when I realized I was crying. Three of the wolves finally arrived. I could hear the humans running through the beach and Paul screaming Lina's name.

"Chris I am on my way but it will take me at least an hour from Denali. Can you take her to the hospital?"

"I don't know grandpa. Its bad. She's impaled. There is so much blood I don't think she'll make it there even if I carry her and run her there." I told him. Her parents arrived just as I finished my sentence. I knew Paul and the other retired wolves heard. Rachel was screaming and crying. Paul was kneeled next to his daughter gripping his hair desperately.

"Grandpa please!" I cried over the phone.

"Carlisle please save her!" Paul cried holding his daughter's hand. Rachel was being held back by Kara and Emily. Sam was kneeled next to Paul and the other wolves surrounded us.

"Do you have anything to stop the bleeding?" I removed my shirt and the rest of the guys followed my lead.

"Do we pull the branch out?" Collin asked me. I shook my head. It was too dangerous. She would bleed out if I tried it.

"She'll bleed out." I told them but I didn't think they were listening.

"Half of it is buried under the sand. We don't know how big it is." Harry continued as if I hadn't said anything. He kneeled next to me, putting pressure against some of her wounds.

"We can lift her." Paul suggested.

"No!" Grandpa told us. "Dig under her and try to break it off that way. Try not to move her in case her spine is damaged. And do not remove the branch. Chris is right, she will bleed out immediately." We did as he told us. As we were digging, Sarah and Liam snuck past the wolves.

"Lina!" Sarah cried and Collin grabbed both of them.

"Take them back with the others." Sam ordered him. Lina had been unconscious the entire time but she seemed to be waking up. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Lina?" Paul said. She seemed like she was going to say something but then Lina started coughing out blood and moaning.

"Grandpa? Her heart is slowing. She's coughing out blood!" Her lungs must be flooding with blood. I knew it was only a matter of minutes before we lost her. She was losing too much blood.

"Chris. Take me off speaker phone."

"No!" Paul said and he threw the phone into the water. Then he grabbed me by the back of my neck with one hand and looked at me intently.

"Turn her." He told me. I could almost feel the blood drain from my face.

"What the hell are you saying? Absolutely not!" Sam hissed and grabbed his shoulder. Paul punched him in the face and then pinned him to the ground.

"Do you think I give a damn about your stupid laws?! She's dying!" Paul screamed into his face.

"Sam please. Kara can change her back after. Please." Rachel begged him. I looked at Kara and I saw the frightened look on her face. It was forbidden for her to use her powers. We could all die for this.

"Rachel I can't…" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Rachel's devastated face.

"I can't Paul. I'm not my grandfather. I could kill her. Bedside's she's Quileute. My venom could also kill her." I told him shaking my head but desperate to try something. Anything.

"She'll die anyway if you don't try!" Paul told me devastated.

"No!" Sarah screamed and she managed to pull away from Collin. He grabbed her again. Sarah started to shake angrily.

"Let. Go!" She said in a voice that commanded every wolf's attention. Her command had the tenor of an alpha. Collin instantly let her go and she marched over to Lina.

"What do you think you are doing? Collin, get her out of here now!" Sam commanded. Sara was looking at Lina. Tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Lina wake up! You're a Quileute wolf. You're the daughter of a Quileute wolf. Heal yourself and get the hell up!" She commanded her again in that same alpha tenor she had before. Lina just kept coughing up blood. Sarah crumbled to her knees. Harry put his arm around her.

"It doesn't work that way, sweetheart." He told her as he hugged her. Harry was also crying. Lina was moaning louder now.

"Heal yourself!" Sarah screamed again. The tenor was stronger and she was trembling. Harry picked her up and cradled her in his arms before handing her to Collin. A moment later, Lina's heart started beating faster. What the fuck?!

"Do you hear that?" I asked Paul.

"I hear it. Lina? Baby can you hear me?" He said as he held her hand again.

"She feels hot." Paul said when her touched her. I felt her forehead and cheeks. She was cold only a second ago and now she was burning! She felt very warm to me and she was getting hotter every second. Sam got up and Rachel moved out of Emily's hands take Sam's place next to her daughter. Sam was shocked. He walked around to his old pack and stared in awe as Lina's scent began to change.

"Get that thing out of her." Paul told me. I pulled the branch out. The blood gushed out at first but the bleeding slowed within minutes. Her moaning had lessened and the scrapes on her lower body started healing.

"This is impossible!" Sam said. He stepped towards Sarah.

"What the hell are you?!" He asked her harshly. Harry growled and stepped in front of Sarah. Collin held her tightly against him and also growled at Sam. The wolves started siding up making the lines of battle even more distinct.

"Don't you fucking talk to my niece that way?!" Paul growled at Sam and stood up.

"You and your fucking prejudices. You would've let my daughter die! You want to know what she is? She is the daughter of an alpha, the granddaughter of a chief, and the great great granddaughter of the past alpha and chief." Sam looked at his old friend and third in command with disgust. I saw Emily shake her head in disappointment of her husband.

"Get the fuck out of here Sam. You don't belong here." Harry told him. Jared finally stepped in.

"Let's go Sam. They got this." Jared told him and pulled him with the rest of his old pack. They walked off. Only Emily and Kim stayed behind. Emily and Kim were Rachel's best friends. They were also mothers and they weren't about to leave their friend alone. They left and Sarah buried her face into Collin's neck. She was crying. Paul walked over to Sarah. She had tears streaming down her cheeks. Paul took her in his arms and hugged her. He gave her a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you." He told her and held her tightly against him.

"I think she's strong enough that we can get her to the hospital or the Cullen house. There's medical in the house." I told them.

"You know how to use it?" Paul asked me.

"I grew up with four doctors and I was homeschooled. Cullen high is like first year of med school."

"Let's take her to the main house. We won't be able to explain her healing at the hospital." Rachel told us. I picked her up in my arms and held her close. Her scent was changing and she felt as hot as a wolf. The change was too quick, much faster than any other wolf who turned. She moaned again when I picked her up and she opened her eyes. I stared straight into them relieved that I had another chance to look into those beautiful brown eyes.

"Welcome back." I told her with a smile. She looked at me confused.

"What happened?" Her voice sounded hoarse. She moaned when she shifted. She looked down at the source of her pain.

"I know it looks bad baby. But you'll be ok." Rachel told her.

"Mom?" I could tell she was having a hard time talking.

"Try not to talk sweetheart. You're going to be fine." I told her.

"I feel sick. Do I have a fever?" She asked weakly.

"No sweetheart." Paul said as he came closer to us. He was still holding on to Sarah.

"Your body is healing itself. That takes a lot of energy." Harry told her.

"Healing?" Her voice gave out a little.

"Shh. Don't talk. Let's just get you to the Cullens and we'll explain everything when you're completely healed." I told her again.

"Ok." She whispered and laid her head on my chest. She trebled slightly. I felt my heart soar in relief as I heard her beating heart grow faster and stronger. She was safe and I planned to ensure she remained that way.

We got the house and I laid her on the hospital bed in the designated home infirmary. I started dressing her wounds immediately. Her parents were in the room with us. Kara was with the kids and the rest of the crowd.

"Grandpa and Edward took a helicopter. They'll be here in an hour and Eve and Seth are less than an hour away." Harry told me as he put his phone away.

"See. Your aunt Eve will finish healing you and you'll be back to your old self in no time." I told her. She looked into my eyes again.

"But I'm turning." She said in a weak whisper.

Paul came closer to her bed and took her hand.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked her. She looked at me again.

"No." She said quietly. All of her minor wounds were healed. The only wound left was the one of her left ribs where she was impaled. I finished dressing her wound and started cleaning. Seth, Eve and the rest of them arrived less than half an hour later. Eve went straight to work to finish healing her.

"What the hell happened?" Jacob asked us as Eve finished. Paul filled him in on everything. Rachel held on to Lina as Paul and I told them what happened. Rachel held Lina against her shoulder protectively.

"Sarah did what? She's not even a wolf. How can she possibly make Lina turn?" Jake asked us in shock. I shrugged. I had no idea but I was glad it happened.

"She's an alpha." Kal said.

"So what? Jake is an Alpha and he cannot make other's turn." Renesmee asked him. Kal looked at her as if he were thinking about what he wanted to say.

"Vampires are not a part of this world. Their very scent calls fourth our wolf to protect the tribe because of this but vampires came to the tribe after my sins had already phased. With no vampires around how did my sons first turn? I always thought that I must have called their wolf forward somehow. I just cannot remember." He told us. We all looked at each other. He was right. The vampires came much later. Taha Aki had many son's before that crazy leech came to his village. All his sons were wolves before that vampire arrived. I could almost hear the wheels spinning in everyone's head as we thought about this.

"I can't believe no one has ever thought about that." Rachel told him.

"A wolf is, by nature, a pack animal. It could be that your wolf was an alpha and it called forth its pack." Nessie suggested.

"Perhaps, but none of my sons possessed this gift. Do any of you?" Kal asked Jake.

"No. The legends say that it was vampires that called forth the wolf and then the wolves left when they stopped phasing." Jacob said.

"I read that too. I imagine I must have called forth my sons' wolves and then my sons chose when they wanted to stop phasing after they chose a wife. They didn't know that if we waited long enough our true mate would come to us." Kal told him.

"That's probably why imprinting was so uncommon. They didn't have enough time as wolves to find their mate." Nessie suggested. Kal nodded in agreement.

"According to your history books, most turned during early manhood and remained wolves until they found a wife so that they could age with them. I and a handful of my sons stayed wolves for longer and had many wives until we imprinted. Perhaps I was the reason why there were always many wolves in the tribe, perhaps I was the one who kept calling them forth. The records showed that there were much fewer wolves after I was gone. The last pack only had three."

"After you left, there was no one to call the wolf forward and no vampires so that's why there were only three left. But there were no vamps around then either. Ephraim and his pack could be the product of that last attack but would make them very old." Paul told us. Ephraim and his pack were already wolves when the Cullens came into town. If Taha Aki became a bird and there were no more vampires in the area after the last attack, then how did Ephraim turn into a wolf? The only explanation is that he was among Taha Aki's sons. The ones who tuned when they saw their mother kill herself.

"There's nothing in the history books about how old they were. That's probably why there are so many wolves now. I always wondered why there were so many of us when there were only 3 wolves in the last pack. They must have had many kids, many wives. I mean, there has to be reason why there are so many wolves right?" Rachel asked. I listened to them and wondered how much history must have been tampered with. If the last three wolves were centuries old, why did they keep it a secret? What were they trying to hide? It made me wonder if Ephraim and his pack were not descendants of Kal's sons but instead they were his actual sons, and they changed history to either hide how old they or maybe they were trying to keep Kal safe from the pale faces who were invading their lands. Who knew?

"I had many sons and many daughters who also carried my line. Some stayed in the tribe some left for the Makah. There are countless descendants. I can feel them. The strongest lines are in LaPush, of course." Kal said. His eyes were sad as if it bothered him that he didn't know what happened.

"So does that mean they will phase if Sarah calls them? Or do they phase if there's another vampire attack." Nessie asked him.

"I do not know. I think that as long as there is a large pack, boys will keep changing. I think that the pack has as much pull as a powerful alpha like Sarah. She is going to be a powerful force when she turns. She already senses me when I fly over her and she is supposed to be human. She's told me so." Kal reminded us.

"I think you're right. Unless the pack goes away or stop phasing before the next generation reaches the critical age we will have a pack forever." Jake said.

"What is this critical age?" Lina asked us. She had been quiet the entire time, listening to us speculate. I smiled at her.

"Usually around 12 or 13 so you are right on schedule." I told her.

"Of course, if a powerful alpha can intervene who knows? Perhaps if Sarah is the true alpha of the pack she can not only call wolves forward but also take their phasing away." Eve said, finally joining the conversation.

"You still have that power? Like Sarah." Seth asked Kal.

"I do not know. I have never tried it. I am an eagle now so I am not I am a true alpha as Eve has said. Sarah is the next true alpha."

"Not yet. But she will be." Jacob said and he put his arm around his wife. We all knew that she was special but now we knew how special.

"So will Sarah and Liam phase too?" Lina asked excited.

"Probably but you'll be leading the way." Jacob told her. He patted her head and pulled her towards him to hug her.

"So are you ready to phase with your uncle Jake."

"With you? But we'll see each other naked. Gross!" She squirmed and we all laughed.

"Should we try that now or should we wait for her to feel better?" Rachel asked Seth and Eve. They both smiled at her.

"My healing is immediate. Everything is as good as new. I promise." She told her smiling. Leah went over to Lina and patted her shoulder.

"Come on kid. Why don't you have your first wolf out with your aunt Leah?" Leah told her as she held out her hand. They walked outside through the infirmary sliding door and into the forest. We couldn't see them but we could hear them. Leah explained what it was like to phase.

"Its not working aunt Leah. This is so stupid." We heard them arguing and then Leah started shouting. I knew that she was just trying to get Lina angry but I could tell she was also frustrated with her.

"Why are you yelling at me?!" Lina complained. She was a good kid. I knew that it would be difficult for her to be angry with her aunt.

"Because you're taking forever to do something as simple as phasing! Just hurry t up will you!" She shouted.

"Leah…" Paul warned.

"Oh shut up Paul!" She shouted form behind the tree line. "This is all your stupid fault! This kid is a Black. Your stupid genes probably messed up this poor kid and now we're gonna be here for ten hours. If you weren't such a dumb, worthless…"

"Don't talk to my dad that way!" I heard Lina hiss at her aunt and a moment later we all heard a wolf growl.

"Finally!" Leah said. A few moments later two beautiful gray wolves emerged. Lina's wolf was much smaller and darker than Leah's but still beautiful. Paul walked over to his daughter and petted her head.

"Hi sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." He told her. Lina looked around until our eyes met. We made eye contact only for a few seconds and then she ran off. I sighed, having a feeling I knew why she ran off.

"What's going on?" Jake asked Leah. She looked at me.

"I'll be right back." I told them. And I ran off after her. I found by the cliff side. She was sitting on the grass looking out into the ocean. She had phased back somehow and thankfully she was fully clothed.

"I'm impressed." I told her as I sat next to her. "Most wolves take hours to figure out how to phase back."

"I'm so stupid. I was so sure I would imprint on you. I wanted it to be you so badly." She said. Tears flowed down her cheeks. I almost lost her tonight and she was more upset about not imprinting on me than she was about almost dying. As I stared at her tear stained face, my heart started to ache in a way that it never had before.

"I'm sorry that you didn't imprint on me but that doesn't mean we can't be friends. You don't have to be ashamed of liking me. I like you too." She looked at me sadly.

"Don't say it like that. Gosh, you don't understand!" She dropped her head to her hands. I took her hand in mine to get her attention.

"What I understand is that you are an amazing girl and soon, you will become an even more amazing young woman. Earlier tonight I tried to tell you that you will make some lucky guy really happy. What I hadn't planned to tell you is that… I wish that guy was me. Just, don't tell your dad ok?" I tried to make it a joke but even I could hear the hurt in my voice. What the hell was happening to me?

She hugged me and I put my arms around her and held her close to me. As I held her to me, I began to feel the permanence of my feelings for her. I felt connected to her and as I comprehended how much it would hurt me when she did find her mate, I was filled with regret for my existence. I never wanted to imprint on a wolf. I knew it was a dangerous idea. I wasn't like Nessie, Eve, or Kara. I was venomous so I could never be with a wolf. No male hybrid could. But there was something brewing inside me, a longing. I had never longed for anyone before. I never even thought about finding a mate because I never felt lonely, but at that moment I never felt more alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I posted some posters for Immortal on my profile if you guys want to check the characters out. I tried to find actors that matched the physical descriptions and personalities as best I could. As usual, please review!**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Sarah**

I have never ever been so scared in my life. When I heard Chris say that he could kill my cousin if he tried to turn her, I panicked. I don't know what came over me. I thought that if I just reminded her that she was a wolf she could heal herself. I was so desperate to tell her and it made me so angry that they wouldn't let me get near her. I didn't know what would happen. All I wanted to do was remind her. Now everyone was looking at me funny. I hated it!

Grandpa Edward came over to where I was sitting and he sat next to me. He had arrived with grandpa Carlise shortly after aunt Eve healed Lina so they stayed out in the living room with the rest of the family to wait with us. Grandpa picked me up easily and sat me on his lap. I put my arms around his neck and hid mi face on his shoulder. He was so cold but I didn't mind. I loved my grandpa so much.

"I love you too, sweet pea." He told me as he stroked my back.

_'Did she phase already?'_ I asked him with my mind.

"She did. She's outside with Chris. I think they are talking."

_'OMG! Did she imprint on him?'_ I asked him quickly.

"No." He told me. I felt so bad for Lina. She must be so sad.

"She is, so be extra nice to her and try to cheer her up." He said into my ear. I nodded.

"Ok." I told him. Most of the pack was at the house which made me uncomfortable. The older wolves were ok but the three younger wolves hated vampires. There were Sammy and Henry, Sam's boys, and Jaime, Jared's oldest son. Unfortunately, there were still more kids who were my age and would soon join the pack so there were more vampire haters on the way. Great! Grandpa chucked. Grandma came over and sat next to us. She rested her head on grandpa's other shoulder and took my hand. It was so nice to have my grandparents here. They were two of my favorite people in the whole world. Other than my parents, nobody could make me feel as loved as my grandparents. They would make trips to Forks just so that they could take me out to dinner or to a movie. They always made me feel like the most special person in the world, always watching me like they were trying to memorize every angle on my face. It was sweet. Dad would often yell at them for spoiling me but grandma would just roll her eyes at him. It was funny to watch them together. They were like best friends.

Finally, after almost an hour Lina came in with aunt Leah and Chris. I got up quickly and went to her but Liam beat me there and was hugging her.

"So how did it go?" He asked her as I hugged her.

"No big. I was able to phase back and forth in a few minutes. I really don't know what the big deal is all about." She said looking directly as Sammy and the other boys. I saw Collin shake his head and smile when the guys started grumbling. Everyone started asking her questions as grandma and mom served food. After we ate, Sammy's pack left and I grabbed Lina's hand so to go upstairs to my room with Liam and Emma. Emma was too young to hand out with us but she had been so angry and upset that her sister was hurt, that I couldn't tell her to go away. She had been really upset before. No one would let her see Lina so she threw a huge temper tantrum and Emily had to soothe her. She always had temper tantrums. Aunt Rachel says that she's just like uncle Paul.

"What happened? I want to know what happened?!" She complained as soon as we entered my room.

"I fell and I hurt myself! Geez calm down!" Lina told her angrily. Her hands shook a little.

"Maybe she shouldn't be here." Liam suggested when he saw Lina's reaction.

"Emma, why don't you go downstairs?" I told her in a sweet soothing voice.

"I'm not going anywhere. If Lina can come in your room so can I!" She said with her arms crossed and a pout.

"Fine but you need to shut it, twerp." Lina told her.

"Don't call me that! I'll tell mom! Mom!" She yelled.

"Damn it! Do you have to be so damn loud? I have super hearing now you idiot!" She was shaking even more. Grandpa Edward and daddy came in. Grandpa took Emma in his arms. Liam and I got behind him.

"Lina, calm down!" Dad commanded but it was too late. Lina phased into a wolf and started growling and barking at Emma. Daddy pushed her back and she landed on my bed. She brock my headboard. Emma started crying and his her face so that she couldn't look at Lina. Uncle Paul came in and took her from grandpa trying to soothe her.

"Its ok. Your sister didn't mean it." He told her. Lina growled and then she jumped out my window.

"I hate wolves. I never want to be a wolf. I hate them daddy!" Emma cried. Uncle Paul shushed her. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be an easy transition for any of us.

* * *

I was happy that Lina became a wolf at first but I hadn't expected what came afterward. Normally, I would hang out with her a couple of times a week and on weekends but after she phased she spent almost all her time training to be a protector. She also started hanging out a lot with Sammy and the others. She actually told me, 'They're really not that bad once you get to know them' and, in that moment, I knew she was gone. She was one of them. They were her pack brothers and I wasn't her best friend anymore. Even Liam was annoyed with her. I was super hurt and seeing her abandon us like that made me really resentful towards the wolves. In fact, I started to think that I didn't even want to be a wolf anymore. Not if it meant having to give up the people I cared about like Lina did.

Liam and I started getting more involved at school. We weren't doing it on purpose but we missed Lina so much. It helped getting involved. Liam made new friends easily. He joined the basketball team, the debate team, and the chess team. I was in the volleyball team, orchestra, and drama club with Mac. She was my rock throughout the whole Lina mess and by the end of the year we were truly best friends. I loved Mac.

Mac, Liam, Liam's best friends Brad and Freddie, and I spend most of the summer together. Our house became the hang out spot because we had every game system and movie known to man. Brad and Freddie were actually nice to me and we all became friends. They liked that I was a good gamer and that made up most of our conversations. I never thought I would have friends that were boys. Of course, I wasn't nearly as close to them as I was with Mac. When the school year started, we had our own group. Lina hung out with us a few times once her training eased up but it wasn't the same and then, one night, out of nowhere, she invited Sammy, Henry and Jamie to out movie night. It was like we weren't enough for her anymore so she had to invite her pack.

"Hey guys!" She said as she came in through the door. It was the first long weekend of the school year so we decided to meet for a movie on Friday night. I was surprised to see she invited them into my home.

"What are they doing here?" I asked her angrily.

"Relax half blood, we're here to make friends." Jaime said sarcastically.

"Dude don't start." Sammy warned him. It surprised me that Sammy reprimanded him a bit but he might just not want to cause trouble because my parents were home and could hear them.

"Whatever." Jamie said and left it at that. I could tell Brad and Freddie thought it was weird. I had told Mac that they used to make fun of me in my old school because my mom was white and rich and my dad was a poor Native American mechanic so she assumed that was why they called me half-blood. That was only one of their names. They used to call me dirty leech, pig, smelly, they used to make suffocating noises when I walked by, and they even tossed food at me and stuck rotten food in my locker. I really hated all of them and here they were. My own cousin brought them into my home and was forcing me to hang out with them. I was hurt.

We left for the movies in Sammy's car since he is the only one old enough to drive. I felt so uncomfortable that I wanted to cry. Mac held my hand as if she could tell something was bothering me. We went to the movie without any problems. Somewhere in the middle of the movie I had to go to the bathroom. I stopped by the concession stand afterward to get some more popcorn for Mac and me since the wolves had eaten all of it and that is when he caught me. Henry was the youngest in the group and the most immature.

"Why am I not surprised to find you with the food?"

"I was getting more popcorn for everyone. You guys ate almost all of it."

"Us? Hell no. We would never share some disgusting popcorn that you touched you dirty half breed pig!" He spat out at me. I felt my eyes sting and I knew I was about to cry. I turned around to see the shocked face of the guy at the concession stand. He gave me an awkward smile and that's when I started crying. I ran off. I ran outside and around the back. I kept running until I realized I was lost. I went to pull out my cell phone but then I remembered that I left it in my purse which was back at the theater. I was so scared that I couldn't help myself. I crouched down on the ground and I started to cry all over again. I don't know how long I was crying but it started getting dark and cold. I should have been more scared but somehow I wasn't. I sat on the dirty sidewalk crying and stayed there until I heard someone call my name.

"Sarah? Oh my God! Do you have any idea how worried I was? Its windy out and your scent was scattered everywhere. I couldn't find you!" Sammy yelled at me angrily. I didn't get up. He walked towards me and sat down next to me.

"Look. I heard what my idiot brother said to you when we phased to find you and trust me, he's going to get punished when we get home but you can't just run off like that. Its dangerous."

"What do you care? You probably would be happy if something bad happened to me." I told him. I was still crying. He looked at me. He had a sad look on his face and I didn't know why.

"That's not true. I know that I haven't exactly been nice to you when we were younger but I was just a kid then. I'm older now."

"That doesn't mean anything. Just because you are older doesn't mean that you don't think the same as before."

"Yes it does. That's the whole point of growing up. Seeing the world differently, changing your mind when you realize you're wrong." I looked at him. He seemed sincere but I couldn't believe it.

"Your dad hates us and so do you." I insisted.

"My dad has his own issues." He said angrily. I was surprised to hear the tone of disgust. "My dad has been through a lot but that doesn't mean he's right about the things that happened. He's not right about your family." I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he just saying that to make me feel better?

"Why are you saying this? Am I supposed to be believe that suddenly you are ok with leeches?"

"First of all, you're not a leech. Secondly, I changed my mind about you guys years ago. Do you remember a few years ago? When I attacked Nahuel's sister, Yuri?"

"Of course I do. She was here asking for help cause her dad and this other vampire went crazy and were trying to get her pregnant." He nodded angrily.

"They were going to rape her. Here was this woman, running from the monsters who were trying to rape her and I attacked her. I was a new wolf but it's not an excuse. I can still feel the taste of her blood in my mouth. I can still hear her crying, because of me, because I hurt her." I saw the pain on his face and I instantly felt bad for him. I wanted to reach out to touch his hand but instead I my hands balled into fists to keep them from moving.

"Aunt Eve healed her. She's fine now." I told him, hoping that it would make him feel better.

"Yea. Now." He got up and held out his hand for mine. I gave it to him and he helped me up.

"Let's get you home. Don't worry about Henry. He can run home for all I care. He's not getting in the car with us." He picked up his cell phone and called the rest of our friends to let them know he found me and we were on our way. That was the day that I had a crush on Sammy Uley.

I knew that I wasn't his imprint so it would never work but his kindness took me by surprise. I told Mac about it. I couldn't tell her about the vampire stuff but I told her how he felt bad for letting the other boys pick on me in the past and she was excited for me. I couldn't tell Lina about it because of the mental link so I was glad that at least I got to tell Mac about my first crush. Lina stopped inviting the boys over after that incident but I still got to see Sammy at the bonfires. He still didn't talk to me much but at least he would come to say hi to me when I got there. It was a start.

* * *

Mac's birthday was in April and her rich brother invited the family, and me, to stay in his house in New Mexico. His name was Michael but they called him Mike and he was an investor and entrepreneur. Daddy wasn't sure about letting me go but since Kevin and Leslie were going, mom convinced him to let me go with them. I was so excited! Mike was very handsome. Mac looked a lot like him. He was very sweet and he took all of us to eat at fancy restaurants and, on her birthday, we stayed at a fancy hotel in the city for the night. Of course, his home was just as nice if not better. It would have been a lovely weekend but of course, Mac had plans to make it better.

"Ok so there is a concert in town which is like 2 miles from here. I think we can sneak out and go." She told me quietly, even though there wasn't anybody in the room with us.

"I don't think that's going to work. We're going to get caught. Can't we just ask your brother's to take us?"

"We're leaving tomorrow and we have an early flight. They won't go for it. Here's my plan. After they send us off to bed we can change and sneak out. My brothers will be talking and drinking most of the night and they sleep heavy when they drink a little so they won't come check up on us. Leslie is pregnant so she goes to bed early and sleeps like a rock. She won't bother us either. It's perfect! We can ride our bikes there and back. Nobody will notice!" She was so excited that it was hard to say no to her.

"What about the surveillance cameras?" I asked her in hopes that she would change her mind.

"Well what's the point of having a computer genius best friend if she can't hack into my brother's computer system and delete a few minutes of recording?" She told me smiling. I rolled my eyes. Of course I could hack into the system. Computers and technology was my thing but that wasn't the point. It was my first trip without my family and I didn't want to get in trouble. I looked at her puppy dog eyes and I was a gonner.

"Ok. Let's do it." My parents weren't here and there were no supernatural beings around so I figured this would be my only chance to do something like this, ever. We tried on different outfits. I didn't bring any concert clothes so I had to make due because Mac was a small and I was a large on all of our clothes. I hated being so fat and big that I couldn't share clothing with any of my friends. I still managed to put together cute outfits for both of us and we waited patiently until Leslie sent us to bed. About thirty minutes after she sent us to bed she fell asleep. Mac went in to check on her and reported she was out cold. We got dressed and snuck out her balcony door. There was a sturdy trellis which worked perfectly as a ladder. Our bikes were ready for us because we had forgotten to put them away earlier. Within 5 minutes, we were biking out of the property and into town. I was so excited! I never felt such a rush!

"Hey! I know a trail that will take us right to the woods by the backstage of the concert." She said pointing to a very creepy looking opening within some shrubs.

"Ok but it's a little dark." I said skeptically.

"Its ok. The night is clear and the trail isn't that dark. I used it a million times last year when I visited." I preferred if we stayed on the main road but I trusted her. I followed her through the trail and she was right. It was a clear path through a valley area. The night was so clear and bright that we could see clearly where we were going. I thought I saw a blur with the corner of my eye by a small hill. I turned my head and I saw two figures at the bottom of the hill.

"Mac? Are there any houses nearby?"

"No." She said and tuned around. When she saw them she stopped her bike. We both looked at them. They seemed to be arguing but we couldn't hear them one was holding the other back. He looked like he was in a hurry but the other one kept looking at us like he didn't care. I don't know how but I thought I saw something. Something that made every hair on the back of my neck stand in full alert. I saw a flash of red.

"We need to get out of here!" I told her urgently. "Come on!" I said as I started pedaling. I saw her get on her bike but she fell behind a bit and the next thing I knew there was a loud scream behind me. I turned around and saw the man that had been staring at us drinking Mac's blood.

"No!" I screamed and got out of my bike. I ran towards him. It was a reaction. Some part of me knew that there was nothing I could do but my feet had a mind of their own. I got to him as started hitting him with my fists. It was like hitting a solid stone wall.

He swung his arm back and I fell back hitting my head in the process. I felt dizzy and I thought I was going to faint but then Mac started screaming again. I got up and tried to attack him again but he grabbed my arm hard and pinned me to the ground by my hand. He broke it and I started screaming. The pain was excruciating. I felt like he was about to completely crush my bones but suddenly he let go and started screaming himself. He fell to the ground screaming in pain and a second later five other vampires surrounded us. They were wearing long black and red robes. A tall man picked me up from the ground. He examined my arm and growled.

"Where is the other one? Find him!" The tall man said, his voice sounded so fierce that it made me tremble a bit. One of the other male vampires disappeared.

"Your arm is broken." He said as he examined my arm and my head. His voice was soft when he spoke to me. His touch was warm and his eyes were a hazy blue that made me forget my arm was killing me. He was a hybrid, i realized. I finally registered Mac's screams and I tried to run towards her but the man took me by the waist to keep me from her.

"Mac!" I was crying hard. She had blood oozing from a two crested shaped half circles on her neck.

"Its burning!" She screamed.

"Its ok Mac. Its ok." I cried. I turned back to him and grabbed his arm with my good hand. He looked at me like I had just lost my mind.

"Please… You can help her. You can suck the venom out! Please!" I begged the tall man. I don't know why I trusted him. He had a kind face. I felt like I had seen him before.

"Its too late her." He told me. His face was hard but his eyes held a sad expression.

"She knows what we are. She must be eliminated." I turned around to see a girl look at me with an evil smile on her face. She looked like she liked the idea of killing me. I got very scared. The tall man hissed at her and she took a step back. She trembled a bit.

"Calm down, sister. Do you not recognize an Olympian when you see one?" The boy next to her told her.

"Alec. Please, do something about the screaming." The tall man told the boy, Alec. Alec suddenly appeared next to Mac.

"No! Don't touch her!" I screamed and tried to break away from the tall man. He was going to kill her! I felt myself panic. I tried hard to go to her but the tall man took my arm quickly and held my waist again, trying to avoid my arm. He didn't have too. I was too panicked to feel anything.

"I only mean to stop her pain you foolish brat!" Alec told me.

"Alec!" The man hissed. Alec crouched down next to Mac. It only took a few seconds and Mac laid still.

"What did he do?" I asked crying.

"He has the ability to numb the senses. She cannot feel anything." The man said as he let me go. I turned to look at him again. His eyes were mesmerizing. He was tall, strong, but athletic looking with tousled dark brown hair. He looked a little bit like grandpa Edward except that he was bigger.

"You're a hybrid?"

"Yes." He said is a nod.

"Please. Save her. You can save her." I begged him again. I was crying and he looked at me like it had hard for him to see me cry.

"Its too late for her. If I tried, I could kill her." I started crying even more. I was crying loudly and the tall man took me in his arms again. I was surprised when he put his arms around me in a hug. It felt nice to be in his arms. It was comforting. He let go of me and I stared down at my feet. He lifted my chin so that I he could see my face.

"You remind me so much of your mother." I was surprised to hear him say that. I looked more like my dad. Nobody ever compared me to mom. Then it hit me…

"You know my mom?" I moved away from him because his hand on my face was making my body tingle. He also stepped back

"Yes. I know your mother very well." I looked at him, studying him and I realized then who he was.

"I saw you in my parent's wedding pictures. You're Duilio de Volturi."

"Yes and you're Sarah Black. You're family and I used to be close." Yeah. I don't remember mom mentioning that. She only said that she invited him to be nice because he was a hybrid. It didn't matter. He knew my family and I knew that he was the only one who could help my friend.

"Please. Help her. Mac's a good person. I don't want her to turn into a monster." His face changed when I said the word monster and I instantly felt bad. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I was just so hurt because from the moment I saw him I felt like I could trust him but he refused to help.

"Your only options are to kill her or to let her turn. I'm interested to hear what an Olympian will choose." Alec's evil sister told me. I really hated her.

"One more word and I will have you dismembered." Duilio told her in a voice so harsh that we both trembled with fear. "Go put you exuberance into use and take this trash to burn with the other one." He told her pointing to the dead vampire. She left but I could tell she was angry about it.

"Don't kill her. My family can take care of her." I reminded him. I knew my family wouldn't mind the responsibility.

"I cannot leave her here to turn. The humans will find her. She is a liability to our secret."

"Then you can take her to my family. You know them. You know they can take her of her."

"I can't do that either. Your numbers are too great and your family lives to publicly. It would be irresponsible of me to leave her to your family and have them risk exposure. If they become exposed the Volturi would have to intervene." I felt another chill on my spine when he said that.

"So what are you going to do?"

"The girl goes back with us to Volterra. No humans will find her there."

"No! You can't take her. She's my best friend, my only friend." I cried.

"Volterra is not a prison. When she is ready, if she wishes to leave I will not stop her." I looked at him skeptically. The other vampires looked at him too. I could tell they were surprised.

"You'll let her go?" I asked skeptically. He leaned closer to me and nodded.

"Yes, but only when she can demonstrate that she is not a liability. Our secrecy must be protected."

"But she'll be a bloodsucker. I don't want her to be a monster." I said sadly.

"I believe your great grandfather stayed in Volterra for a while and he never touched human blood. The Volturi have welcomed animal drinkers before and we can do it again if this is what your friend wishes to do I will not stop her." He told me.

"Are you out of your mind?" A woman said. She had been quiet the entire time. He had turned to her. I could tell by his profile that he was really annoyed with her.

"Are you questioning me?" His voice was a fierce hiss that made me very scared again.

"Of course not…My apologies. Master." She said. When he tuned to me his face changed. He smiled at me a crooked half smile that melted away my fear.

"Is this acceptable to you?"

"You'll let her become a veggie vampire?"

"If she chooses so, yes."

"She will." I told him. I turned around and I crouched next to her.

"Can she hear me?" I asked Alec.

"She can now." He said coldly.

"Mac? Its me, Sarah. I know you are scared. I am too. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you but I promise it will be ok. You're turning into a vampire. I know it doesn't make sense but vampires are real and you are turning into one. When you wake up you will be different. Your throat will burn with the thirst and you're going to want to drink humans but you have to fight it. You need to stop yourself. Think about me, think about your brothers. You have to fight it Mac. You have to drink animals instead that way you can come back to see us. There are some vampires here that are going to take you until you learn to control your thirst. Please Mac. Do it fast so that you can come home, ok? I'll miss you so much. You're my best friend." I told her crying.

I took my bracelet, the one with a wooden wolf and diamond heart that grandma Bella gave me for my tenth birthday. Mac always loved it. I put it on her wrist, then I kissed her cheek before I stood up. I walked over to Duilio to tell him my request. "That was my grandmother's bracelet. Tell Mac that it's to remind her of who she is. Tell her I love her." I whispered the past part. Duilio's eyes looked pained again for a moment but then he recovered.

"Very well. Alec take the girl." Alec picked up my best friend and held her against his chest. I barely had a chance to notice he was cute if it weren't for the red eyes.

"Take the girl back to the car and wait for us there." Alec disappeared and the woman from before came forward. It was just the three of us now.

"I can make it look like a kidnaping. She's already scraped and bruised from before. It will be an easy story to sell if she cooperates." Duilio nodded and he came towards me again. His face was softer compared to how it was before. It was strange to see his face change so quickly from terrifying to sweet. He kneeled in front of me and took my hand.

"I'm truly sorry about your friend, Sarah." I looked straight into his eyes and saw that he was sincere.

"You have been very brave and I need you to be brave one more time. My friend Grace is going to get a car and leave car tracks leading out of the state. You need to tell the humans that you were riding your bikes and a man tried to grab you both. Describe the vampire that attacked Mac but do not tell them about the red eyes, the cold hands or the blood drinking. Tell them he took Mac and that he tried to get you too but you escaped."

"Oh…Ok." I told him. I was still crying so it was hard to listen to what he was saying. Duilio looked at me as if he was in pain. He let me go and a few seconds later, a car drove by and stopped next to us.

"This is the car you will describe to the humans. You can tell them that there was another man driving it. The two vampires we were chasing have been anything but discrete. Once you describe them it will be easy for the police to put the pieces together. They will look for them but they will not find them."

I nodded. I looked at my bike.

"You should get back by foot. It will make the story more plausible." I nodded again. I started walking down the trail.

"Run Sarah!" He commanded me. I ran and I didn't look back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Duilio**

I followed her as she ran back to the house she was staying in. Why the hell was she out there alone and in New Mexico of all places?! Had Nessie lost her fucking mind?! She knows there are constant territory battles down here. What if I hadn't been here hunting those two idiots? I shuddered at that thought and I got up on one of the trees to watch. I saw as she knocked on the door frantically. A man in uniform answered the door.

"Oh my God! Sarah. Mr. Kevin! Mr. Michael!" He yelled out as he brought Sarah inside. I jumped to another tree to try to catch what was happening through the windows. Two more humans came in to the foyer.

"Sarah?! Sarah what happened? Why are you hurt? Where's Mackenzie?" One of the men said. Sarah cried louder. Anyone else would have thought she was a good little actress but I saw the pain was real. Losing her friend was going to be very hard for her. I instantly felt my guilt consume me.

"He took her! Mac and I wanted to go to the concert in town. We took our bikes through a shortcut and a car stopped next to us and a man jumped out and tried to take us. I fought back but Mac. He took Mac!" She sobbed. I saw the look of absolute horror and pain that the two men felt. I felt sorry for them. It was clear the loved this Mackenzie very much. They held a paternal love for her even though they were both too young to be the girl's father. A pregnant woman had appeared at that very moment and she braced herself against the wall when the waves of pain hit her.

"What?! Oh my God! Oh my God!" She sobbed loudly. One of the men took her in his arms.

"Dan, call the police and an ambulance. Call Dr. Woodhouse too and get Janet in here to help with the girls." The other man told his butler as he walked over to the pregnant woman and the other man went over to Sarah and started inspecting her arm.

"Sarah, honey. I know you are hurt and scared but I need you to try to remember some things. What did the car look like?"

"Um, it was a dark color. Black? Maybe dark green? It was an Impala, 2009. Silver rims, standard." The man holding the pregnant woman looked at her surprised.

"Her father is a mechanic. Get your car and your gun Mike. I'm not waiting for local police. We have to go now!" He took his coat and everyone went into action.

"I know where this shortcut is." Mike told the other man who I assumed was Kevin. They took the girls into a sitting room and ran out of the room. A few moments later a car sped down the street. I moved to a different area so that I could see into the window of the sitting room.

"Sarah, honey, where are you hurt?" The woman asked Sarah as she started inspecting her. She was still crying but she was trying hard to take care of Sarah. I was grateful for this.

"My head and I think my arm is broken." She said. I already knew this but I growled anyway. An older woman came into the room crying.

"Oh Ms. Leslie! I just heard!" The woman cried.

"Janet! Janet call her brother and sister. Their number is on my cell phone." I almost growled at myself. I should have thought of that. Janet rushed out and came back some moments later with a cell phone.

"Nessie? Thank God! Ness, Mac was kidnapped! …" There was a pause. "No no she's here next to me but she was hurt. They tried to take her too Ness. They broke her arm, we are taking her to the hospital." Another pause. "Yes. I'll put her on."

"Nessie?" Her crying had settled to soft whimpers. "Yes, I'm ok. Its just a broken arm, I promise. They took Mac. Da..Jake. Please come here." Her voice broke and my heart nearly ripped out of my chest. She sounded so small, so much like the child she was. She had been so strong and brave before but now I saw she was just little girl that just watched her best friend die. This was hard for me to watch because i also saw that she was more than just a little girl. That part was al too clear to me. I caught Grace's scent at that moment. She climbed onto the branch I was standing in one jump.

"Reiss and Demitri are driving the car out of the state. Santos and Jane took care of the two lawbreakers. Are you ok?"

"Of course I'm not ok!" I hissed at her. She looked at me with sympathy but it only made me madder.

"I'm sorry your niece was hurt. She seems like a good kid." She told me.

"She's amazing and I just ruined her life forever." She also ruined mine but I wasn't about to admit that to Grace.

"Kids are resilient. She'll get over it." I wanted to rip her jaw out but I restrained myself. Sarah hung up the phone and held on to her arm as she laid her head on the pregnant woman's shoulder. The woman, Leslie, put her arm around Sarah.

"It should have been me." Sarah told her. I was surprised by the bright color of shock and horror in the Leslie's soul when Sarah said this. There was no guilt in her emotions which meant that she didn't think of this or wished ill harm for my niece.

"Don't you dare say that!" She told her and she hugged Sarah. "Do you know how devastated we would all be if you were both missing. We would have no idea how to find you. At least we have you to tell us what the car looked like. We're going to find her. I know we will." She said and Sarah cried a little louder. The police and the ambulance came a few moments later.

"Its time for us to go." I told Grace. She jumped to the ground and ran off into the night. I looked at Sarah one last time and then I jumped off the tree. In my heart, I walked into that house and took my niece in my arms to console her. But I knew I could never do that. I had to stop thinking of her as my niece. Sarah could never know me as her uncle, her friend, or anything else. I saw the coloring in her soul as clear as day and I knew what she would become. I realized that it was a mistake to act kindly towards her earlier but the moment I saw her, I wasn't Duilio Marco de Volturi, I was Duli and my concern for her was too great to hide. My time as a Cullen was over. Now that I knew what she was, it was even more dangerous for all of us. I could never become Duli again. This girl must grow to know me as a Volturi master. She must learn to fear me as one. Better yet, she must learn to hate me as one. I knew what I had to do to ensure she did.

* * *

**Sarah**

Leslie rode with me to the hospital in the ambulance after I told the police what happened. I described the vampires as best I could and then they talked to Kevin over the phone about the car. I knew they would never find her and it broke my heart. The doctors came into my private room and took x-rays and blood for tests. I didn't really hear anything they were saying. I was suddenly very tired but I couldn't go to sleep. They tried to make me talk to a psychologist but I refused. Leslie stayed with me the entire time. She sat at the hospital bed next to me and stroked my hair. Just when I thought I was going to fall asleep, my parents rushed into the room.

"Sarah?" Mom whispered loudly as if that wouldn't have woken me up anyway.

"I'm up." I said without any emotion. I was tired of crying. Mac was gone and it was my fault. I let them take her. I wasn't strong enough to save her. Dad passed my mother and took me into his arms. He peppered me with kisses and released me when mom went to hug me. I just let them pass me back and forth like a ragdoll. My grandparents were at the door. I could hear grandpa Carlisle talking to Dr. Woodhouse outside of my bedroom. My arm was already in casted and they took every picture imaginable of my arm and my head. No one could understand how a man could crush my arm like that with one hand. I could. He wasn't a man at all. I saw grandpa Edward stiffen suddenly. I guess they didn't know what really happened yet.

"Can I go home now?" I asked my parents.

"They're going to discharge you in the morning, sweet pea." Grandpa Carlisle told me.

"No." I said flatly. I felt a sudden energy flow through me. "I am going home now." I told the doctor. His eyes widened a bit and then he shook his head.

"Sarah!" Mom scolded me. I looked at her. Normally it would make me feel terrible when my mom scolded me but I felt nothing. I felt nothing at all.

"No its ok, Mrs. Black. I know she is in expert hands. I will write up the discharge paperwork and you can take her back to the house. However, I don't suggest any traveling just yet." Dr. Woodhouse told her. The whole exchange with the doctor gave me a weird feeling inside. I started to take deep breaths as the events of the night flashed through my head. Was I getting a panic attack? Grandpa came to my side and started rubbing my back soothingly.

"That took her..." I was crying again. Damn it!

"Shh. Its ok sweet pea. Just let it out." He whispered to my ear. I kept seeing his face in my head. Seeing his face and hearing his voice helped me calm down a bit. 'He promised me he would let her go. She wont be gone forever.' I told myself. I was suddenly very exhausted. It was as if I had no energy left inside me. Grandpa Edward picked me up into his arms. Daddy gave him a strange look.

"Go to sleep, sweet pea. We'll be home soon." I rested my head against grandpa's shoulder and finally fell asleep in his cold comforting arms.

* * *

**Renesmee**

The doctor left to get the paperwork and Leslie left to call Kevin. I had already talked to Leslie and gotten the story from her but after looking into my daughter's eyes I knew there was more to the story. She seemed so different. Her eyes were a combination of sorrow and defeat. I couldn't help but feel like I saw an emptiness in them. I saw my father holding my little girl and a part of me was dying inside. I wanted to be the one comforting her.

"You will baby girl. She just needs to sort things out. Maybe we need to give her space." Space. I left my daughter alone and she was attacked. Her friend was kidnapped. And the first time I left her alone, my niece almost died. I am never giving her space again!

"What happened daddy?" He looked at her face as she slept and then he looked at me with a worried face. It was as if he were trying to decide whether or not to tell me.

"It was a vampire attack. I think it might have been a newborn but it seems its more complicated that just a typical newborn because the Volturi were involved."

"What?!" Jacob growled.

"I know what you think Jake, but they saved her. I think they were following the vampire that attacked them and his friend. Mackenzie and Sarah were just at the wrong place at the wrong time." God! Why did this always happen?! Its as if my family was cursed to be in the wrong place when bad shit happened.

"There were two?" Momma said worried.

"One left, possibly because he knew the Volturi were tracking them, but the other one could not resist. He attacked Mac first. Sarah actually tried to save her. That's why her arm is practically crushed. He would have crushed it if the Volturi hadn't shown up at that very moment. Duilio was with them. He knew he couldn't save Mac. He gave Sara the choice to let her turn or to kill her. Guess what she chose."

"The child is out there, turning alone?" Mom asked horrified. I was sure I had the same expression on my own face.

"No. Duilio took her. He told Sarah that Mac will be a liability to our secret and he took her with him to Volterra. He promised Sarah he would give her the choice to come home once she is controlled. I am not sure why he promised her this or why would be interested in keeping Mac to begin with. He even said that he would allow her to become an animal drinker if she wanted it." What the hell?

"What the hell is he thinking?" I said more to myself than anyone around me. I wondered if this was all some plot to get us to forgive him. Was he using my daughter's best friend as a bargaining chip?

"I don't think that he would do that." Daddy said but I wasn't entirely sure if he was talking to me or someone else. Before I could ask a nurse came in with Sarah's orders.

We left the hospital and went straight to the airport. Jacob had brought Sammy, Embry, Collin and Quill to help with the search thinking that it was a human kidnapping but now that we knew the truth we wanted to get Sarah home as soon as possibe. We left the two wolves behind to help with the search and to keep up appearances. Leah and Kal had been with the family while we were at the hospital so they also stayed behind.

Grandpa administered some sedatives and pain medication to my daughter in order to keep her sleeping during the flight. When we got home, Eve was already waiting for us with Seth. Eve was a miracle in our lives. With one touch, my daughter's body was as good as new, as if nothing had every happened. I only wished that her gift worked on the mind as well.

Sarah was still asleep when I went to check on her. I sat on the edge of her bed staring at her beautiful face. What would I have done if anything had happened to her? Why did I let her out of my sight to begin with? Kids go to visit with friends all the time and nothing happens to them. Why did this happen to my daughter and her best friend? Why does she have to live such a difficult childhood? Why does doom have to follow her?

"I used to ask myself those very questions all the time when you were growing up." Daddy said behind me. I turned around to look at him. He was leaning on the doorway, looking at me sadly. I went over to him and he took me in his arms while I cried on his shoulder. I hated that my daughter was having such a hard time. Just when she got a friend, her best friend was taken away from her. It just wasn't right!

"Shh. I know. Come on, love." He said as he guided me out of the room and into the library. He sat us on the couch and he held me against his chest like he did when I was a little girl. I always felt so safe in his arms.

"What am I going to do daddy? I don't know how to make this right. I don't know how to get her through this."

"Yes you do. You love her. That's all you really can do." I nodded.

"Why did this happen to my little girl daddy?"

"Why did _my_ little girl get sentenced to death? Why did _my_ little get kidnapped by two maniacs the first time I ever left her alone? Sometimes bad things just happen, love. I wish I could tell you something different but I can't. All we can do is be there for our children and do all within our capability to help them move on. That's all that you can do." I nodded. I had to do all that I could do. I realized there was something I could do that I haven't tried yet, but I wasn't sure if it would work.

"You can try." Daddy said as he saw the direction of my thoughts. I got up and moved to the large oak desk. I wiped my face as I sat in front the computer, tuned on my video phone, and dialed that wrenched number. He picked up.

"I was expecting your call." Duilio said from the monitor. He looked annoyed which only made me angry. He should have told me that my daughter was attacked the moment he found her yet he was acting like he didn't so anything wrong. It was infuriating!

"My daughter was attacked and that's all that you have to say for yourself? Why the hell didn't you call me as soon as you had her?" I tried to keep the hurt from my voice but it was inevitable. His face was an emotionless mask.

"You would have tried to intervene in the matter and I couldn't allow that. I have to keep up appearances. Besides, Sarah had a role to play and she needed to be convincing." I swear that if I had him in front of me at that moment I would have ripped his head off.

"Convincing? So you used a little girl for to cover up your mess? You used my kid to make yourself look good in front of your guard? That's despicable!" I saw him finally react to my words. he was angry.

"It was not my mess. You should be more careful of where you send your daughter. There have been attacks in New Mexico for weeks and they've hardly been discrete. If I hadn't been in there to enforce our law, your kid would be dead right now. You should be thanking me!" He almost growled the last part.

"Is that why you took the Mac? So that I had a reason to call you up and thank you? You should have just dropped her off at Denali and saved us all the trouble of this conversation. I want Mackenzie back!" I told him. I couldn't help the angry tone in my voice.

"Why? So that Kara can turn her human or so that you have another gifted vampire in your coven?" He said sarcastically.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked him angrily. Daddy got behind me and leaned against the bookcase so that he was visible in the monitor. Jacob walked into the room with momma and they were both staring angrily.

"The girl is gifted. I am not sure what her power will be but we will know in a couple of days."

"You know that Kara would never use her gift and as for Mac's power, you don't really need her. Word has it that you have become quite the collector. Taking after your uncle?" I asked him. I saw his face went rigid. He got up p and leaned into the monitor so that his angry face took up most of the screen.

"Hardly." He said angrily. "I answered this call because at the very least I thought we were allies but let me make this perfectly clear, sis, I AM a Volturi master. I am the law and this girl will remain here in Volterra for as long as I see fit. I will NOT be questioned or challenged by you or anyone." He hissed at me. Hearing his tone made me both furious and sad to the point that there were tears in my eyes.

"How can you do this to my daughter? Do you have any idea what losing her best friend will do to her? She's not a hybrid like us. She doesn't understand all of this, she's just a little girl!" The tears spilled down my eyes but it made no difference to him.

"That is no longer my concern." He said in a cold tone.

"How can you treat me like this? What the hell happened to you?"

"I became the being I was supposed to become. As for your daughter, I saved her life for a second time. I suggest that you all remember that and move on." I saw Jacob tremble a bit. Momma put her hand on his shoulder and he calmed down. I got up, shoving my chair back and walked away from the computer. When I looked back, daddy was leaning forward looking straight at the monitor.

"We may not share the same dna but were my son once. I know you. There is more to this than what you are telling us." Dad had a sad intense look on his face that I was sure had affected my estranged brother. However, I was behind the monitor so I couldn't see Duilio's reaction.

"I guess its too bad you can't read minds across the internet. Goodbye dad." Duilio said back but his tone was much softer as if he were holding back some emotion. I heard enough, I took the entire system and threw it against the wall, smashing it into pieces.

"Can we just go after her? They wouldn't start a war for just one girl." Jake asked.

"I don't think this is about the girl. Its about power. Duilio is making a statement, like last time." Mom said.

"I guess it was a long shot after all." I said shaking my head in disbelief. How was I ever going to tell my daughter that she would never see her friend again? Why did he even give her that hope? It was cruel. He was cruel.

Mom and dad headed downstairs and Jake approached me. Jake took my hand and kissed it. I could feel the distress he was feeling. I put my hand on his cheek brought his head to my shoulder. He kissed my neck twice before he rested his forehead there.

"We'll tell here together." He told me as if he has read my mind. It made me wonder if I had projected but I knew I hadn't. Jacob knew me better than I knew myself sometimes and he would often guess what I was thinking. He lifted his head and looked into my eyes. His eyes were rimmed with tears just as mine were.

"Oh Jake..." Was all I could get out before I started sobbing. Jacob didn't try to shush me or calm me. Instead he cried silently with me. We had been through so much together and now we had to break our baby's heart together.

* * *

**Sarah**

I woke up in my own bedroom in my home in Forks. My parents were both in the loveseat on the corner of my bedroom asleep with their arms around one another. I saw them and it made my heart ache for some reason. I was tired of pain so I tried to think of something else. That's when I remembered that Mac was gone. I wanted to start crying all over again but another part of me resisted. 'Crying wasn't going to solve anything,' I told myself. I went to my bathroom and started getting ready for school. When I came out, my parents were awake and my grandparents were with them.

"Get out. I have to get dressed." I told them. They all stared at me. I went over what I said and added, "Please."

"You don't have to go to school today. Why don't you sit and talk to us for a bit?" Mom suggested.

"I don't wanna talk. I want to go to school." I grumbled. Something was off about my voice. It was flat and monotone. It was empty, which I realized was a reflection of how I felt.

"I know you don't want to talk but _we_ need to talk to you." Mom told me. I sighed and sat on my bed. I was still in my bathrobe.

"We know what happened to you and Mac. Grandpa told us everything."

"I figured." I told them unhappily but at the same time I was grateful that I didn't have to explain everything all over again.

"We also know what Duilio promised you. We tried to get Mac back but he refused." She told me hesitantly.

"I know. He said Mac is a liability. He won't let her go until she is ready."

"Honey, there is a chance that he might not let her go." I nodded. I thought about that in the hospital. I was trying to be optimistic but I knew that was a possibility.

"She'll come back home by choice or I'll go get her. I'll get her back one way or another." Mom looked at me as if I had just grown an alien out of my eyeball.

"Excuse me?" Dad said.

"I'm getting Mac back. Not now but when I am stronger." I told him. I had planned it out when I was in the hospital with Leslie. It would take me some time but I knew I could do it. I just had to find the right vampire. I was counting on the fact that since I hadn't phased yet I could find a vampire and ask him to turn me.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Dad said in his angry voice which brought me out of my train of thought. Grandpa put his hand out to stop him from whatever he was going to say next.

"Sweet pea, it doesn't work like that. The Volturi are very powerful." Grandpa explained. He saw my plan. Ugh! His power was really so annoying sometimes.

"Right and I am some powerless human so they would never agree to my plan. Well, I won't be forever and when I turn I can take her place. It should have been me anyway." I would take her place. I would find one of our allies and have them change me.

"Sarah…" Grandpa held his hand up to stop daddy again.

"And why do you think the Volturi would do an exchange." He got me there. I figure that I would have powers since my mom and my grandparents had powers. Of course, there was always the possibility that they would not take me. That thought made my self loathing come back for a second. It was long enough for those forbidden thoughts to pop into my head. 'Even a bloodthirsty vampire chose to drink Mac first instead of her ugly fat friend. Who the hell would want you?' I thought and quickly pushed that thought aside.

"I really hate it when you think things like that." Grandpa said angrily. I ignored his comment. My issues didn't matter. Chances were that I would be a powerful vampire and that having a Cullen would be more attractive to them then keeping Mac.

"Their hybrid said that they are trying to change. He said that they had taken grandpa Carlisle in before and that they can make room for someone like him again." I said. They took a Cullen in before, why not take another one.

"What if you phase?" Grandpa retorted.

"Its not like the pack will ever take me. If I phase, then the Volturi can have a new guard dog."

"That's enough!" Dad said angrily. He didn't understand. Nobody understood.

"It should have been me, dad! I was the one who actually wanted to be a vampire. I would have lost nothing and Mac lost everything! I ruined her life!" Dad actually started to shake. Mom went to help him but he just walked out the door.

"Let him sort this out, Ness." Grandpa told my mom. Grandma walked over to me and sat next to me. She put her arm around my shoulder.

"I think we talked enough for this morning. How about I make you some breakfast?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'll take that as a yes. Get dressed and come downstairs. I'll have a plate for you when you're done." She told me. Grandma took mom's hand and led her out the door. Grandpa followed after them and closed the door behind him. I changed my clothes and went downstairs. I had my breakfast quietly, by myself, in the kitchen. Liam came in and sat next to me. Grandpa quickly came in the room, gave him a plate of pancakes and left us. He gave Liam a quick nod before he left as if they were having some mental conversation.

"I don't want to talk about it." I told Liam as soon as grandpa left.

"I didn't say anything." He looked at me with a worried expression and for some reason it made me angry. I shoved my plate away which was still half full, something I never did.

"I'm done. I'm going to school." I said and got up.

"Why? Your best friend died and you're going to school?" He asked me baffled. I froze and glared at him.

"She's not dead. She's just… gone." I told him and left the room. I took my coat off the rack and walked outside to go to school.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

I walked all the way down to the bus stop when I heard someone whistling. Someone was following me and I had a pretty good idea of who it was. I didn't care. I crossed my arms and waited for the damn bus in the cold. When it came, I got on the bus and went to school. Mom usually took us to school so that we didn't have to get up so early so some of the kids were surprised to see me in the bus. Nobody said anything and thankfully it was a quick ride to school. I got out of the bus and walked across to enter the school but I didn't go in. I couldn't go in. As soon as I got there I realized what a stupid mistake it was. Mac wasn't here anymore and there was no one to keep me safe or sane. Liam was in most of my classes and so were Freddie and Brad but it just wasn't going to be the same without her.I realized that my life was going to be as empty as I felt. I was alone.

I was always the quiet one, always invisible to most people unless they were picking on me. Mac was the first person who ever saw me for me. When Liam, Lina and I were at the rez school, we were always together but they also had their own friends outside of the three of us. I would always hang out with Lina and _her_ friends or Liam and _his_ friends but I but I never had any friend of my own until Mac. Now she was gone, possibly forever and I didn't know how to be that girl again. I didn't know how to go back to being that lonely girl who sat on the corner with Liam and _his_ friends. I didn't know how to exist in that world and be alone again.

I walked to the wooded area behind the school and kept going. I walked for almost an hour and then I was too tired. I sat on the ground looking at the grass. That's when uncle Seth finally appeared. I was shivering from the cold so he quickly put my on his lap when we sat down. For a while, he just stayed quietly, rubbing my arms to warm them.

"When I go in without her, they are going to know she's gone." I said out loud but I was mostly talking to myself.

"Yes. They will." He told me.

"They never liked us. They will all say stupid things. We never fit in anywhere and now she's not here. I'm all alone again and she's all alone out there too. What if they don't like her? What if they're mean to her?"

"They won't be and Mac is a pretty feisty little thing. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Where will I fit in if she's not here?" Uncle Seth hugged me tightly and smiled showing my how I fit into his arms.

"You know what I mean." I said exasperated.

"Liam and Lina both want you around." He told me. I just shook my head.

"They have their own friends. Mac was mine. She was my only friend." I felt a tear leave my eye as I said this. Darn it! I was so sick of crying. I wiped it away angrily.

"That's not true. Lina and Liam are also your friends. They love you."

"They're family. They have to love me." I grumbled.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. So they have to love you. So what? There's no greater or stronger love than the love of family. It's a love worth protecting and it's a love worth fighting for." He brushed aside a stand of my hair and smiled at me his uncle Seth smile. That was a low move. No one could resist his smile.

"Mac was like family too. I ruined her life, just like I ruined Lina's. Now I lost them both." I told him.

"What are you talking about? You didn't ruin their lives, sweet pea. They're alive because of you. You fought for both of them. You even fought a vampire for Mac. She's going to appreciate that forever."

"I could have saved her if I was a vampire. I could have saved her even if I was a wolf." I was trying to hold back my tears. I liked the idea of being wolf less and less every day but even a wolf would have been able to save Mac. Gosh! I hated this! Why did I have to be human?! It made me so angry that I wanted to cry.

"What makes the wolves strong is the pack. You, out there, alone." He shook his head. "You would have died trying to save her."

"Well I am going to have to learn how to fight alone anyway. The pack will never accept me. I don't even want to be a wolf anymore. My best friend is a vampire. I want to be one too. I want to be with her, uncle Seth." He glared at me.

"Stop that! Mac is going to be fine and you are not turning into a smelly old leech." I glared back at him and he smiled.

"Just cause I love my vampire family doesn't mean they don't stink." He amended. "Trust me. You don't want to stink like that. Ugh!" I actually smiled at that.

"There's that smile I love so much." He kissed my temple before he continued. "Look sweetheart. I know this is going to be very hard on you. Losing your best friend is tough and I am so sorry that it happened to you but at least you know that Mac is out there somewhere and that she is safe."

"I know. I feel so bad about her brothers. They're never going to know." I felt another tear come out for Michael and Kevin. They were such good brothers and they were never going to see her again. They would live the rest of their lives wondering what happened to her. It just wasn't fair!

"I feel sorry for them too. But they will find a way to move on. These things happen to humans all the time. They persevere, and so will you. Sometimes I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You are such a strong and powerful young girl. We would be lucky to have you in the pack. And frankly I'm a little upset that you don't want to be a wolf like your _favorite_ uncle." He wiggled his brows and I smiled again but it was more of a sad smile.

"Well… I wouldn't mind being in a pack with you or the older wolves. They're ok. It's the younger boys that get on my nerves. They are always so mean to me." He snickered.

"Pft! They're just jealous, hun. You'll be giving those boys a run for their money. I told you already. You are a very powerful young girl. You just can't see it yet." I was surprised when he said they were jealous. What could they possibly be jealous of?

"I'm not powerful. I can't even stop the boys from picking on me." I grumbled. The bell for second period sounded but we ignored it.

"You're strong Sarah, and its time that you believed it. Don't let anyone make you think like you're not because, if you do, then you're letting them take your power away. Those kids want to make you feel like you are less because you are much better than they are. Even, now as a human, you have shown your power. Nobody has ever been able to do that. Not even your dad. You are the true alpha, the most powerful," he kissed my forehead, "strongest," he kissed my cheek, "bravest," he kissed my other cheek, "and sweetest alpha we've ever had." Finally he kissed my nose and I giggled. I put my arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I love you uncle Seth." I really did. I wish he lived closer to us so that I could see him every day instead of a couple of times a month.

"I love you too, sweet pea." He said and held me tight before he released me. "So are you going to class or do you want a ride back home?" Uncle Seth offered. The idea of going home was tempting but then my parents would want to make me talk and it was much harder talking to them then uncle Seth.

"I think I am going to class." I told him. He smiled at me and helped me up.

"Ok. Do you want me to go in with you?"

"No. I can do it. Thanks uncle Seth." I told him.

I don't know what I was feeling but something strange was happening inside of me. I stared at the school as I walked out of the tree line where uncle Seth dropped me off and it was like my body was tense. Like I was preparing for battle and school was my battlefield.

I walked down the path and went to my second period class. I was late. I sat on my usual seat. Everyone starred but I tried not to pay attention to them. I look at the board but I couldn't pay attention to anything the teacher was saying. I tried to think of what uncle Seth told me. Mac was ok, Lina and Liam were still my friends and they loved me, I was strong. I kept repeating these things over and over in my head. I don't know why I felt so empty and alone but I had to be strong.

Somehow, I made it to lunchtime and I sat next to Liam at his table. Everyone stopped talking once I sat. Liam took my hand and squeezed it. Freddie smiled at me kindly. I just looked down at my food realizing I only got an apple and a bottle of juice. Liam realized it too.

"Here, take my tray. I'll go get something else." Liam said as he started getting up.

"No. This is yours. I'll get something." I got up and I made the line again. No one looked at me this time, no one noticed me. I preferred it that way. I wasn't really paying attention to any of the conversation on the line until I heard her name.

"Yeah Mac. The hyper little short girl that hangs out with that tall fat girl from volleyball." A girl named Taylor told Savannah from English class. They were ahead of my by one other person. That person was getting food and listening to music, oblivious to the conversation in front of him.

"Don't call her that. She's just overweight." Savannah told Taylor.

"Whatever. So the Mac got kidnapped when she went to visit her brother. Did you know she was loaded?"

"No." Savannah looked uncomfortable with the conversation.

"She doesn't look loaded. Anyway, she was kidnapped down in there in New Mexico or Texas or something and they are waiting for a ransom call. Her brother is apparently willing to pay anything to get his annoying sister back."

"That's so scary." Savannah's face looked genuinely worried from the angle I could see. I couldn't see Tyler but I bet she was anything but concerned.

"Please. She's so annoying, they'll probably give her back in a week. Either that or they'll kill her annoying ass before they even collect. Which would be such a waste. I would have at least hoped to get something good if I had to put up with that hyper bitch." She told Savannah as she nonchalantly filled her tray with food.

Something inside my brain snapped at that very moment. I passed the guy in front of me and went straight behind Taylor. I took the tray of food in my hands and raised it which cased Savanna to open her eyes widely. Taylor mush have seen her reaction because as she turned to see what was going on behind her, I smashed my food tray on her face. Savannah stood there with her mouth opened.

"You crazy bitch!" Taylor cried but she didn't get up. I dropped the tray on the floor, walked out of the cafeteria and made my way to the principal's office. One of the teacher's called my name behind me but I just kept walking. She finally reached me and grabbed my arm. It was Mrs. Smith from homeroom.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She yelled at my face. "You're going straight to the principal."

"That's where I was headed." I told her. She only looked angrier. She grabbed my arm tighter and started walking me. I stood my ground and when she turned to look at me her face was furious.

"Let. Me. Go." I told her in a voice I've heard before but still didn't recognize. It was the same voice I used in the hospital, on Dr. Woodhouse. She immediately let me go and looked shocked, almost scared. I kept walking to the principal's office and she followed behind me. We went into the office and the secretary looked at us. Mrs. Smith passed me and went straight to the principal's office. She started telling him what happened in a very loud voice. I sat on a bench by the window and the secretary and I could both hear everything she was telling him. The secretary looked at me with judgmental eyes and started calling my parents, who they knew as my brother and sister. Liam walked in and sat next to me.

"You're not supposed to be here young man." The secretary told him. He took my hand and looked at her.

"Good luck making me leave." He told her. She shook her head and started talking to someone on the other line. Probably my dad. I laid my head on Liam's shoulder. Liam was getting taller than me. He was starting to look more like uncle Kal. The principal came out.

"Miss Black please come in." He told me. I looked at Liam and nodded to let him know I was ok. I walked in and he signaled for me to sit.

"Ok, Miss Black. I know you are going through a very difficult time right now but that does not mean that I will tolerate violence in my school."

"Yes sir." I said quietly. He sighed and sat on his desk.

"What happened Sarah? You're a straight A student. Never gave anyone any trouble. What happened today?" His voce got softer. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Tyler was saying stupid things about Mac. I got angry." There was no point of trying to sound sorry. I wasn't sorry.

"You broke her nose Sarah. I know that you are going through a lot but there will be serious consequences." He warned me and gave me a serious look that indicated he didn't like my attitude. Normally I would cower under that glare but somehow he just didn't seem that scary anymore.

"I understand. Can I wait for my brother outside with Liam?" I told him. The school had dad as my brother. He looked disappointed at me. That look was worse than his angry look but it definitely didn't have the same effect. Today, I simply did't have the will to care.

"Sure." He said. I walked out of his office and waited with Liam for my parents to come.

I didn't have to wait long. My dad walked in first. His face was so angry and mom's was worst. Daddy looked at me with angry disappointment. Liam and I both squirmed simultaneously under my dad's stare. Now his stare had a little more impact. The principal walked out and called my parents in before they could say anything. Daddy went in with mom and they talked to the principal for about 30 minutes. I heard the word expelled a few times. My parents came out with furious looks.

"Let's go. Both of you." Daddy commanded. We followed after him and mom fell back behind us. The drive home was silent and tense. When we got home, everyone was in the living room talking quietly.

"Sarah. Go to your room and wait for us there." Dad said. His voice was softer and he smiled at me lovingly. Maybe he wan't as angry as I thought? No... He was probably still very angry and disappointed but he still loved me. He was my dad.

Liam and I went upstairs. Liam took my hand right before I was supposed to go into my room. He put his index finger over his lips signaling to be quiet so I followed him to the office. He moved the couch and then he got on his knees next to the vent. I followed his lead and within seconds I could hear the conversation going on downstairs.

"Expelled! I hope you told that principal a thing or two." Aunt Leah said.

"They have a no violence policy Leah. She broke the girl's nose." Dad explained.

"Did you ask her why?" Mom asked my father.

"Do I really need a reason? There is no excuse for her behavior. What's going to happen when she phases? I'm not letting her rip a human apart just because she's upset." He told her.

"Is that you talking or is that Sam?" Mom asked him in a low angry voice. It was a hiss. My mom hissed at my dad? That was definitely a first.

"Okay... I think I'm going to go for a run. Come on all of you." Uncle Seth said.

"Damn! And I wanted to see the kid finally grow some…"

"Leah! Can you please just go?!" Dad cut her off. There was a moment of silence and then dad spoke again.

"Baby, I know you are upset about that stupid council meeting this morning. I only went over there to humor them." Dad's voice was soft and soothing as if he was trying to calm mom down. That was also a first. It was usually the other way around.

"They said our daughter was out of control and that she didn't value human life. You just stood there and you didn't defend her!" Mom was actually shouting, this time. I had never heard her shout at my dad before. Liam looked at me with a surprised expression. Even he thought it was weird.

"That is not exactly what he said, hun. Sam was just pointing out that she had lived with supernatural beings all her life. She doesn't understand the consequences of her decisions when it comes to immortality. She let her best friend become a vampire and she let our enemy take her. She sees it as a solution or a gift as if humanity didn't matter to her. She says it herself that she wished she was a vampire. She doesn't value her own humanity." What the hell was so great about being human? Liam rolled his eyes and shook his head at dad. It was his way of telling me not to mind what my dad said.

"Right… And it would have been better and healthier for our daughter to let her best friend die? She is a child! Of course she would rather he best friend turn, of course she would rather her cousin phase! She was going to lose them! Or would you rather had Lina die that night?!" Wait a minute. They were angry at me for helping Lina?!

"I love that girl like my own daughter. Of course, I am grateful that Lina phased but that's not the point Sam was trying to make. People die, Ness. It is a part of being human." Now dad sounded like he was starting to loose it.

"Well she's not exactly human is she? That's the real problem here. She is my daughter and as usual this community cannot accept that. It doesn't matter what decision she would have made. Sam would have found a way to twist it around so that our daughter seems like an enemy instead of a child who is a part of this pack."

"That is not true! My pack has always accepted her and protected her. Don't bring your issues on her." Dad's voice was angrier he was definitely starting to lose his control.

"_My issues_?! Why the hell are we living here in my grandparent's house Jacob?! Because our daughter was being picked on every single day by the kids in _your_ pack." Mom screamed again.

"They are _kids_. Kids bully each other all the time. Besides those kids are not part of the pack yet but once they are they'll..."

"They'll what? They'll accept her? Don't be so naïve! It took Andrew, Collin and Jeremy years to get used to me. And actually Jeremy eventually moved out because he didn't want to live with me anymore. Remember that? I told you this morning, Jacob. I am done with this situation. Our daughter is suffering every day that we stay here." Liam and I both looked at each other. Neither of us liked where this was going.

"This pack is a family. We have worked hard to make this a family for our kids and I am not uprooting my entire pack again because you think that they don't want you here. I've actually been in their heads. They care about you and our daughter."

"They sure have a funny way of showing it." Mom said sounding sarcastic. "This is not the type of environment that I want to raise our children in."

"How can you say that? This is our home. This is the place where _you_ were born and raised."

"Yes Jacob. But I also had you to keep me feeling safe and grounded. I had an accelerated mind from the moment I was born that could process the rejection from the people I cared about. Our daughter is human. She doesn't have the emotional capability to process all of this. Your pack has treated her like a freak her entire life. Half the guys in your pack didn't even come to see her when she was born because they were afraid they would imprint on the half breed. It took Collin being sick of his parents to finally move in with us. Jeremy moved out because my family was visiting too much and the only wolves who let their kids sleep over here, other than Paul of course, are Brady and Steven because they happen to be married to my high school best friends. Sam's house is tiny but his house is always full of kids and pack members. Who comes here other than the people that live here and the people who are related to you and me?" I never even noticed that before.

"Stop being so petty. And FYI, Embry and Quill come here all the time with their kids." He had a point there.

"They don't count! They're both your best friends. And Quill is your cousin and Embry is Paul's brother who is married to your sister so he's as good as family too." Now mom had a point.

"What the hell do you want me to do Ness? Move our entire family because we didn't win out on a popularity contest?" Dad sounded exasperated.

"Yes, Jacob. _Our_ family. If Sam wants to separate the pack again to teach the new generation the value of humanity and the horrors of immortality then let him. Let Sam have his pack back. Seth and Eve live a happy life in Anchorage. Let's take our family and make our lives somewhere else with the people who love and accept us. If there is anyone from _our_ pack wants to come with us then they are welcome to come but otherwise let's take our daughter away from this prejudice spiciest environment." There was another moment of silence. Liam took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. I smiled at him.

"What about Lina and Liam? Our daughter just lost her best friend. Moving away from the only two friends she has left, is not what she needs right now. Sure, she needs us but she also needs _them_. Are you really willing to take her away from them?" He asked her softly. I think he was hoping that he made his point. I was hoping that too. I didn't want to move away again.

"Leah and Kal will go wherever we decide to go and you know very well with Lina and Sarah will stay friends no matter where we live." There was another short pause.

"I'm not moving Renesmee!" Dad told her in a low angry voice.

"Then I guess you have a hard choice to make because I am not staying here and neither is **_my_ **daughter." My heart nearly stopped. Was she serious?

"What the hell are you saying?! Do you really think that you'll just walk out of here with **_our_ **daughter?!"

"I'm only thinking about what is best for her. Now let me go." She told him. She sounded like she was crying. Oh my gosh! My parents were getting a divorce and it was all my fault! I had to fix this, but how?

* * *

**A/N: Don't hate me for the cliffie! Just bare with me. I promise it will all be ok.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

I heard enough so I ran to my room. My parents were fighting and they might get a divorce because of me, because I was out of control. I sat on my vanity chair and looked at myself in the mirror. I was different. There was no way to hide it. I couldn't even recognize the girl in front of me. What came over me today? I never hurt anyone before, not when they put gum in my hair, not when they shoved me into the floor, not I when they wrote pig in my locker. I never fought back, I never defended myself, but to hear those girls talk about Mac that way. Its like I was lit on fire and the only way to make it stop was to defend Mac.

I waited a while for my parents to come into my room but they never did. I started to get more and more scared that my parents would get a divorce because of me. As usual, Sam was making me seem like a freak and as usual dad overlooked it. I was angry that Sam was making it like I didn't care about humans but I was really hurt that my dad thought so too. My dad loved me but he had a bad habit of overlooking what the pack did to me. It was my fault. When dad realized what was happening he came to talk to me. I made it seem like it was nothing. I didn't want to cause any trouble and I think dad preferred to pretend that everything was ok with me because he knew mom would freak. Mom never knew about the bullying until I refused to go to school. It was the first time I ever defied them. Dad knew, at least he had an idea because Sammy was in the pack when it started getting worse. It wasn't as bad when I was in first and second grade. Back then Sammy used whisper insults into Harry's ear so that Harry could come out and say them to me. I don't think he knew what this would do or how badly things would escalate. Then he left for middle school and everything got out of control. It all started with his insults and then it escalated until by 5th grade almost every kid from the former pack was picking on me, even the ones that were younger than me. I just took it. I take everything that happens to me and it had to stop. I couldn't let Sam put stupid ideas about me into my own father's head. I couldn't let him turn our lives upside either. Maybe if I showed him that I cared about humans he would stop being mean to my family. I mean, just because I would prefer to be a vampire didn't mean that I didn't care about humans.

My mind set, I opened the window and climbed out. I was in aunt Alice's old room which had a large window. There was a large tree next to floor to ceiling window with a branch that lead right into the floor into it. I got to the ground and started running. It wasn't a cold night so I figured I could make a run for it until I reached Mr. Sander's house, down the street. He had his bikes out the back so it would be easier for me to borrow one of his than to try to get mine from the garage without anyone knowing. I didn't know how long I had before they found me so I ran down the driveway to the street. I barely got down the street when a pair of warm arms grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Collin said. Ugh! Collin!

"Let me go!" I yelled and he put me on the ground. I walked away from him angrily. I didn't forget what my mother said. According to my mother, he didn't even want to be around me. That part kinda hurt. I've always liked Collin.

"Please Sarah. Don't run away. We'd all be heartbroken." He was such a liar. He probably wouldn't even care. I turned around and looked at him. He was smiling his stupid charming smile but this time it wasn;t going to work.

"No you wouldn't." I told him and I kept walking. He walked next to me.

"Come on Sarah, don't be like that. You know running away won't help anything." I stopped and turned to him again.

"Did you come see me when I was born or when even I moved here? I've seen all my baby pictures and there isn't one with you in it or Jeremy or Jared or any of Sam's old pack." He looked like I hit him in the stomach. He took a step back and lowered his head.

"You heard your parent's talking didn't you?" I nodded.

"I guess the whole forest heard with how loud they were yelling. You need to understand something, kid. I was young back then. I am older and more mature now. I am not the same person at all. I acted really stupid with your mom but I love you and your mom too. You're like my little sister."

"My parents don't have any sons, so I'm not your little sister. _Mr. Littlesea_." I tuned away from him but he came around me and blocked my way.

"I may not have been in a few pictures but I have been there for you most of your life, held you when you were hurt, cheered you up when you were sad. So don't you dare talk to me like I don't care!" He snapped. I saw his hurt angry eyes and I felt bad. Gosh! Why can't I ever stay mad at anybody?

"I'm sorry." I said begrudgingly, realizing I already forgave him.

"Look, I am glad that you are finally standing up for yourself but you are going about it the wrong way. Hitting little girls with food trays, running away and yelling at the people that care about you is not the way to..."

"I wasn't running away." I corrected him.

"Oh really. And where were you going in such a hurry?" I looked at the ground because I wasn't sure if my answer would make him mad at me again.

"To Sam's." I whispered, but I knew he heard it.

"Sam's? Why?" I looked up at him but he just looked confused. I sighed and decided to tell him the truth.

"Because my parents are going to separate and I wanted to fix it. There is something I need to tell him."

"You're parents are not separating. Those two are the definition of inseparable. As for Sam, if you really have something to say to him, I can take you." I nodded.

He sighed and went behind some trees to change. He came back out to the street and lowered himself so that I could climb up. Once I was secure, we sped through the trees all the way to Sam's house. I was a bit nervous. Collin went to change back and I knocked on the door. I was so happy when Emily answered. A part of me was hoping Sam wasn't home.

"Sarah! Oh honey, I'm so sorry about your friend. What are you doing here by yourself?" She asked me and looked around to see if there was a car somewhere.

"Collin brought me." He came out from the tree line at that moment.

"I see. Do you want to come in? I have some cookies in the oven. Would you like one?"

"Yes please."

"Ooh are they chocolate chip?" Colin said behind me.

"Yes." Emily said laughing. I always liked her. "Sam we have company." Now not so much. Sam came out of his office and joined us in the kitchen. He greeted Collin and looked at me with an awkward smile.

"What are you two doing here? Do her parents know she's here?"

"Nope and I'm just here for the cookies." Collin said.

"And I wanted to talk to you. If that's ok, um Sir." I hoped I didn't sound as completely stupid as I felt. Emily gave me a plate with two cookies and a glass of milk.

"Why don't you two go to the office?" She suggested while she gave Sam his cookies and milk.

"Come this way." He told me with a smile. He was never unkind but he was also not welcoming. It was something it his eyes. As if it bothered him to be in my presence.

"Have a seat, eat." He told me. I sat on the loveseat and he moved his chair towards me.

"I'm sorry about your friend." He started.

"Me too." I told him and stared at my plate. The cookies looked good but I was too nauseous.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I still didn't look at him. Gosh! Why did he always make me feel so uncomfortable. I swallowed hard and I finally looked at him.

"Why did you have a council meeting about me?" He looked surprised and then his eyes narrowed.

"You're parents told you about that?" He asked me suspiciously. I felt my cheeks warm.

"No. I overheard them talking. Yelling actually. Mom wants to move away." I confessed.

"What? Jacob can't move the pack again. There are younger wolves who still live at home. What is she thinking?!"

"I don't think your boys were invited." I told him. I don't know why but his reaction made me mad. Anger was good. It helped me be brave. "Why did you meet about me?" I asked again, changing the subject.

"Because I was worried about you, about what happened, about this new generation of wolves."

"Do you think I'm bad for the pack? Am I a bad person for wanting my friend to be alive?" My voice was off and when I stared at him, he looked shocked. Like I caught him off guard.

"No! Of course not. But that's the thing Sarah. She's not alive. I don't want to bring any more pain to you but my concern is that you don't really understand what you condemned your friend to. You grew up with vampires who make immortality look easy but its not. Your friend has a very hard existence ahead and even worst is that she now is trapped with our enemies."

"He won't hurt her. He said he would let her go if she wanted it."

"Your parents told us what Duilio said to you but the Volturi cannot be trusted. They are all about power not honor or family like we are. They have ways of making your friend stay with them without forcing her to. They can make her do things she doesn't want to do. That's what they are about. Power. They are keeping your friend because she has a power they want to exploit." I tried to hold back my tears just as Collin bursted into the room.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you!" He yelled at Sam.

"All her life she has thought that mortality was an inconvenience. She doesn't understand what it means to be immortal. She has to learn the consequences of her actions." Sam told him sternly. He got up from his chair and both men seemed to be in a match for superiority. It was as if they forgot I was even in the room. I put my plate down because my hands were shaking a bit.

"She's twelve! And she just lost her best friend. How can you fucking say those things to her?" Colling yelled at him.

"_She_ is a Quileute wolf who has no regard for mortality." Sam said pointing his finger straight at me but glaring angrily at Collin. I slapped it way

"I'm not a wolf!" I yelled at him. Sam looked at me shocked. I was so angry that I didn't even care that I smacked an elder.

"Not yet but you will be." Sam told me in a softer tone. "This problem isn't singular to just you, Sarah. A lot of the younger wolves grew up knowing what they would become. They look forward to it like this is some kind of gift. None of you understands the consequences."

"Damn it Sam! Just because you see it as a curse doesn't mean the rest of us have to. Come on Sarah. Your parents are going to be mad enough as it is." Collin took my hand and pulled me up from the loveseat.

"No wait! I don't want my mom to take me away." I said and I turned back to Sam. "What do I have to do to show you I am not what you think I am?"

"All I want is for you to understand the value of being human."

"Fine. What does that mean? What do I have to do?"

"It means you come back to the Quileute school. Be with your people. Get involved in school programs. Babysit, or become a teacher's aid at the school. Do something to get involved with your community. No more hiding. No more avoiding being with your people." He stared at me. I was angry but I nodded. Collin just shook his head.

"She wouldn't have to hide if your boys hadn't picked on her." Collin told him.

"The boys have been reprimanded and most of them are in the pack now. The rest too young so they won't be hard to handle."

"It's ok Collin. I'll do it. I'll do everything you ask but you need to promise not to my mom or our family like outcasts." Sam shook his head.

"I don't treat them like outcast. I am careful. Renesmee and the rest of the Cullens are very controlled but they are still vampires."

"My mom would never hurt anyone."

"Not on purpose." He glared at me and I realized nothing I do would matter. Tears fell down my eyes. I couldn't hold them back anymore. Collin looked horrified.

"Damn it! Sam!" Collin yelled and he took me into his arms. "Its ok sweetheart. You don't have to listen to any of his crap. Lets go." Before I walked out the door I turned to Sam again. He looked frustrated and a little sad but there was no regret about what he told me.

"Nothing we do to change will ever matter to you, will it?" I asked Sam but he didn't have a chance to answer. The door burst open and my dad came in.

"That's enough of this conversation. Sarah let's go." Dad looked at Sam and Collin angrily. I felt bad for Collin. I didn't expect my dad to find us. How much had he heard? I walked out the door and saw my mother in the car. Uncle Seth was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. He looked angry too. So that's how he found us. Uncle Seth probably heard everything. I wonder why he didn't come in himself?

"Jake I'm…" Collin started as soon as we came out but dad cut him off.

"Save it Collin! You shouldn't have brought her here to begin with!" They were facing each other in a stance that made me worry.

"I didn't think he would talk to her like that!" Collin tried to explain but it only made my dad angrier. I looked at uncle Seth but he just smiled at me reassuringly.

"That's right Collin, you didn't think! Sarah get in the car." Dad said. Right in that moment Sammy and Henry came home from school. Great! Just what I needed.

"Dad stop. Don't yell at Collin. I was coming here with or without him." I told him.

"In the car now, Sarah Bell."

"No!" I said and I started shaking but only for a moment. Dad looked at me in shock and he grabbed mom's arm when she quickly stepped out of the car and tried to come towards me. I looked and my hands and I became scared. 'I'm not a wolf. I'm not some stupid dog!' I told myself. I didn't have a fever, I didn't feel sick. I couldn't be a wolf. Mom came toward me again and put her arms around me.

"Are you ok?" I nodded. She walked me over to the car and I got in. My dad got in the driver's seat and we drove back home only we didn't go into our driveway. Dad kept driving. I didn't dare to say anything. He stopped the car at an ice cream shop he used to take me when I was little. We used to have weekly father and daughter dates but he stopped when my trouble at school came out in the open. Mostly because I refused to go with him. I felt too guilty about lying to him about the bullying by pretending it was all ok. I lied and I lost control, now they were going to get separated because of me.

"I don't want ice cream."

"Well that's too bad, cause I want one. You want one, babe?" He asked mom as if they didn't just have a huge fight.

"I sure do." She smiled at him. They both left the car and went inside holding hands. What?! My parents were so weird. I got out of the car and I followed after them. We all ordered our ice cream and sat outside in a more private table.

"I thought you guys were fighting."

"We're grownups. Grownups fight sometimes. We fought, now we've made up." Dad said.

"But mom said we were leaving. She said you had to choose."

"You know if you are going to eavesdrop then you gotta commit to it. If you would've listened in for five more minutes you would have heard me laugh at your mother's ridiculous pouty face and you would have heard me tell your mother that we are never going to be apart. Ever! She's stuck with me, no matter how nuts she drives me." He looked at her with that loving smile that he always gave her and then he took her hand and kissed it.

"_You_ drive _me_ way crazy. You should know better than to laugh at me and yell back at me when I get like that."

"I never heard you guys fight like that."

"You've heard us fight before. Married couples fight all the time."

"But you guys never yell at each other. I thought you were getting a divorce." They both laughed. They laughed!

"Honey, your father and I are completely and madly in love with each other. We cannot exist without each other. We are in this for eternity."

"Then why?"

"Because your mother always gets a little crazy when she's pregnant." He said with a smirk. I felt my mouth drop open. "In fact, last time she blew up at me like that was the day we found she was pregnant with you." He kissed the top of my head and mom gave me a worried look.

"Mommy, you're pregnant?" She tucked a strand of hair from my face and smiled at me.

"For about 3 weeks. I found out over the weekend cause I finally started showing and he or she started moving around. I think he or she had a growth spurt over the weekend. We were going to tell you when you got back but then…" She shrugged her shoulders. She pulled up her shirt to show me the bump that had formed. I touched her belly and felt something move underneath it.

"That's so weird." She put her hand over mine so that we were both touching her belly.

"That's your little brother or sister." I don't know why but her words made tears come to my eyes.

"Congratulations. I'm really happy for you guys." I told them as a thought about the idea of being a big sister. Would I be able to do this?

"Are you really? Are you happy?"

"Yes but... I just don't know if I would be a good big sister. I couldn't even protect myself or my best friend. Big sisters are supposed to protect right. Like Lina." I didn't know anything about protecting others.

"You'll be a great big sister. This baby is going to be so lucky to have you." She told me. I smiled at them but I was still unsure. Mom put her arms around me as if she could sense my uncertainty.

"I know you miss Mac but its ok to be happy." She told me. It was hard to be happy. Anger and sadness were SO much easier.

"Sam said that the Volturi were going to use her. He said that they would make her do things she didn't want to do."

"Duilio is jerk but he's not evil. At the very least, he'll keep Mac safe, out of respect for my mom and dad. I promise that if I really thought Mac would be mistreated, I would be over there in person to get her back." Mom told me.

"Will I ever see her again?"

"Someone once told me that eternity has a way of opening every possibility. I am certain that you will see her again." She said confidently.

"Thanks mom. I really am happy that I'll have a little brother." She smiled at me and she looked relieved. Was she really that worried that I wouldn't want a new sibling?

"What makes you think it will be a boy?" Daddy asked me, distracting me.

"I don't know. I just have a feeling." Daddy put his arm around me and gave me a tight hug that left me breathless.

"Dad! You're squishing the human!"

"Sorry." He said but he didn't look sorry at all. "So about school. Your principal is pretty adamant about the expulsion. I'm going to talk to the school board tomorrow." He told me.

"Actually, if its ok. I want to go back to the tribal school."

"Sure, sure. I was on the phone with Seth as I drove over to Sam's. He told us everything that asshole said. You don't have to pay any attention to Sam and his stupid problems."

"I know but I want to go back. I'm tired of running away and hiding. I'm going to be a big sister and I have to set an example. Right?" I smiled at him, hoping that he wouldn't push it.

"Um. Right. Ok, then I'll talk to the principal and we'll get it all squared away."

"Thanks daddy and I'm sorry about losing control today." I told him honestly. I wasn't sorry about hitting Tyler but I was sorry about all the trouble it cause afterward. Dad shrugged.

"You're becoming a teenager and apparently a wolf. It's hardest when you are in transition."

"I'm not in transition dad. I'm not going to be a wolf. I don't want to be like _them_." He knew exactly who I was referring to when I said _them_. Dad looked at mom with annoyance and she looked at him sheepishly.

"Give the pack a chance Sarah. Your dad was right. They love you." She told me.

"The Cullens love me. The pack just tolerates me." Mom shook her head.

"That is not true, baby. Give them a chance, you'll see." She told me again.

"Ok! Fine!" I just wanted this conversation over. I would give those stupid wolves a chance even it killed me.

"Everything will be fine, sweet pea. You'll see." Dad assured me.

"It won't fine for Mac's family. It will never be the same without Mac."

"It will take time. For now we concentrate on helping her family move on and helping your mom with the baby, ok?" Dad asked me. I nodded.

"Ok."

We threw out our trash and headed home. Even though I felt better, I still felt empty. My only relief was that the angry desperation I felt before was gone. Now I just felt empty. I wondered how long it would take before that feeling was gone.

I was starting to fear that this emptiness would never go away. Going back to the tribal school wasn't as bad as it was before. Most of the people who made fun of me stopped after they heard a smashed a girl's face with a food tray. I was able to ignore the rest. There was one good thing about my emptiness, it made me not care about the things that didn't matter. I didn't care about their whispers anymore. I didn't care that they glared at me when I sat with Lina and Liam at the pack lunch table. My favorite was when I walked past them and they all stopped talking, as if they had been talking about me. At least they weren't spitting gum in my hair.

I made it through the end of the semester and I spent the entire summer with my family in Denali. I loved spending time with the Cullens. Aunt Alice took me shopping with aunt Rosie. Chris, Harry and the uncles taught me how to play all sorts of card games and sports. They were determined to make me into a baseball player so that when I phased I could be more of a challenge to them. However, the tremors didn't happen again and I was relieved. I was sure that my moment had passed and I wouldn't become a wolf. The problem was that I wasn't sure how I felt about that anymore because Liam finally phased.

Liam phased right at the beginning of the summer, first into a wolf then into a bird. I was happy for him but he was spending a lot of time with Sammy, Lina and the rest of the pack in LaPush. He spent all summer with them while I was in Denali. It was our first summer apart. They invited me to their get togethers but, since my parent's were at Denali, the pack activities usually happened at Sam's house and I wasn't going to talk to him again anytime soon. Instead, I spent time with a very special person. My little brother William!


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know that I post my chapters quickly and I know that because of this few people are going to feel compelled to leave reviews but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I am not going to be like those authors that hold back chapters until they get a certain number of reviews so please be kind to me and leave a review. I really look forward to reading what you guys have to say. I read the traffic report for my stories almost daily and I know that a lot of people are reading this story and very few people are reviewing. It makes me sad:-( SO... this chapter is new, please review! :-)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Sarah**

Over the summer, only three months after Mac's disappearance, my little brother William was born. We were in Denali by then and it certainly made life a lot more exciting at the Cullen household. Will wasn't like other babies. He was supernatural. I finally understood what mom meant when she said she had the mind of an adult from the moment she was born. William was like a little adult. He didn't behave like any of the babies I met before. It made me a little sad because I couldn't do normal baby things like play peak-a-boo, blow raspberries on his tummy, or tickle his toes. I understood what Sam meant by the consequences of immortality. Still, Will was a great baby brother. Where I looked mostly like my dad, Will looked like a combination of both my parents. His best feature was his winning smile. He was a charmer and could make anyone fall in love with him instantly. I was slightly jealous of this ability but it was impossible to feel anything negative for him. He was like sunshine and I loved him to pieces.

Will had the ability to see into other people's minds. It was a much creepier version of grandpa Edward's and mom's gift. He could focus on one or many people and step into their minds, see things and feel the memories as that person did. It was much better than reading minds because grandpa could only read passing thoughts. Will had access to any thought he desired, all he had to do was think about what he wanted to know about that person and he was there living it. The only problem was that both him and the person he invades become so consumed by the memory that the only thing you can do is stay still until he leaves your mind. It only happened when he wanted to access stored memories, passing thoughts were easier for him so you barely noticed the invasion.

I thought it was a neat power until he looked into my mind to see why I was sad one day. I could feel him access Mac's death and a lot more. There were many things that made me sad and he wasn't specific. He accessed everything, even things that none knew about like the time Jamie pushed me to the ground and Henry spilled milk in on my head, while Pete and Ryan laughed. Pete and Ryan were both wolves now. He also saw the time some of the girls (probably Jen and Casey) stole my clothes while I was in gym. And the time someone spit gum into my hair. It all happened a long time ago anyway. Now they just talked behind my back but Will became really upset. I made him promise he wouldn't tell anyone just like I had made Liam and Lina promise. Will became very protective of me after that also like Liam and Lina. It made me sad. I was supposed to be the one protecting him.

Summer ended and it was time to go back to LaPush. It was hard saying goodbye to the Cullens. Uncle Seth and aunt Eve had left a month before to join doctors beyond borders and nobody from LaPush came to visit us for that final month, so it was only vampires lined up to say goodbye. I looked at my vampire family from the back window one last time and felt a pain in my chest.

"Don't cry, Sarah." Will told me when he saw my face.

"Grandma and grandpa are coming over in a week. You don't have to be sad baby." Mom told me. I just nodded.

She didn't understand. It would be a whole other year before we lived with them again so it would be another year before I was at a place where I felt accepted and loved. Even my two cousins/siblings had forgotten about me. By the time the summer ended, I had gone from spending time talking to Liam and Lina every day to texts once or twice a week. Sam got his way and the younger wolves all formed their own pack with Sammy leading the pack, he had just turned 17. Uncle Kal hated it. He insisted that there should only be one pack but in the end the council agreed that those wolves that had imprinted to immortals or that wished to wait until they imprinted would be in one pack so that they could live out their normal lives and the younger wolves would stay and protect the tribe so that they could learn what it meant to be protectors. They talked to the school and made it into a class so that the wolves could leave school a little early and still get credit.

With this new arrangement was that my parents no longer had access to what was going on with me and the younger pack. This allowed the packs true colors to come out and Sammy got very protective of me when that happened. The younger pack didn't have to pretend to like me anymore because they didn't have to share a mind with my dad or my aunt and uncles. They didn't have to talk behind my back anymore, either. They could just be rude to my face. They made that abundantly clear over my few visits when they all started making gagging noises at Liam and Lina's practice sessions. Sammy took matters into his own hands. Those few times I visited, he would be at my side diffusing the situations. The problem was that Sammy was in high school and I was still in middle school. I managed to keep out of their way because I spent my summer away. Now I was back and school was going to be hell again.

We arrived at the house about a week before school started. Liam and Sarah were waiting for me when we got home.

"Sarah!" Lina came over to me and hugged me. Liam was right next to her. I had seen him a few times over the summer but he still shocked me when I saw him. He was tall and strong and very handsome. He gave me a hug ad held me tight.

"I missed you." He whispered in my ear. This was the first time that Liam and I were apart since we were born. 'Missed' doesn't even cover how badly I felt about being away from him.

"I missed you too." I told him. I felt a pressure in my chest that I hadn't felt before when he kissed my cheek. I felt the same thing when he first phased. It was as if our connection had gotten stronger. Lina was hugging Will when Liam let me go.

Liam was much taller than me now but sadly I was taller too. My body changed over the summer. I was still a bit fat but my growth spurt caused my weight to be a bit more proportional. My body was still wide and tall and big. I definitely didn't look like the fragile flower I felt like most of the time. I was built more like an Amazon but not like any of the ones I had seen on tv or google. I looked less like Zena and more like the WWE wrestler. My body was finally getting some shape. Of course, I didn't look like an Amazon woman yet because I was only 13.

"Yeah, lets never spend another summer separated like this. It sucked! I think it gave me anxiety." Lina said as she rubbed her chest.

"Maybe its heartburn." Will told her and we all laughed. The distance had caused a little bit of a rip in all of us. It was even worst with Lina because she was 15 now and she would be starting out in a new school. I had hoped that once we were all together it would be like old times and it almost was. Even though we were all acting the same and joking around, something felt different. In my heart, it felt like they were tied to me but in my mind they felt distant. They even felt physically distant even though they were right in front of me.

"Hey, the boys are getting together at Sam's for a barbecue this afternoon and later we're going to watch a movie in town and you are coming with us!" Lina said excitedly.

"I don't know. I just got home and this is Will's first day home…"

"No excuses. Will got you all summer, besides I think he's out hunting with aunt Nessie and uncle Jake so don't give me that excuse." Will nodded at her and then he went to find our mom. He had been complaining he was thirsty the whole ride over.

"Were going to the barbecue too." Mom said from the kitchen where she was talking to Claire. "We promised to show up with Will after we went hunting. Its kinda a welcome home barbecue so you have to go." I sighed in defeat.

I could see from the couch that aunt Leah was on uncle Kal's lap looking at the computer. He looked at me as if he could sense my disappointment. I waved at him. He smiled and turned his attention back to the computer. They spend a lot of time on the computer now. Aunt Leah, uncle Kal and my parents decided to take turns being in the public eye. First ten years, Liam and I belonged to aunt Leah and uncle Kal, and now we belonged to my parents, only they were our brother and sister-in-law. Aunt Leah and uncle Kal still went out, but only if they were sure, they would not be recognized. It was the only arrangement they could think of to keep the community from figuring out they were not aging. Collin had to go into hiding too. They seemed ok with it though.

I got up from the couch and looked at my two cousins.

"Fine. I'll go." I told them and I went up to my room to pick out an outfit.

Someone came into my room and when I turned around to see who it was I was surprised to see uncle Kal there. Uncle Kal was an amazing uncle. He was very protective and kind to me and he always gave me whatever I wanted; however, he was never the comforting type so I didn't know why he was up in my room.

"What's wrong, sweet pea?" He asked me from the door.

"It feels different. Being home feels different and I don't really want to go to Sam's so that I can feel worst about it."

"Why would you feel worst?"

"They always make me feel worst about myself?"

"They make you?" He asked me with a smile.

"Well I guess they don't make me." I said begrudgingly. He nodded and walked over to my bed. He sat on the bed and I sat next to him.

"I think that being the only human in our family has made you feel different." He suggested. I nodded. I agreed that this was also part of the reason. I never wanted to be human, yet here I was. The only human in a large family of immortals.

"I don't fit in anywhere, but its not just that. They always look at me different and they treat me like I am different. I can't make that feeling go away even if they are not picking on me anymore." I lied. They were definitely still picking on me.

"They made it difficult for you but you are their leader. I don't remember how it was for me when I was your age but I know that the path of a leader is never an easy path. Your tribe, your pack, they all need you to be strong. They need you to stand up to them when they test you. How else will they know you can protect them when times are difficult?"

"I don't have a pack. Sammy and my dad are the alphas not me. I'm not a leader and I don't want to be." He furrowed his brows, contemplating on y words.

"It saddens me to hear that. Soon you will phase and you will become their leader whether you want to or not. You have the power inside of you, like I once did. You need to make a choice. You need to claim them as your pack, you need to claim you place as their leader or they will never follow you." He smiled at me. He was always so quiet and reserved, especially compared to aunt Leah but when he spoke he commanded everyone's attention. Sometimes I forgot that he was Taha Aki. He always spoke like a leader, like a father.

"What if I can't do it? What if I don't want to be a wolf?" He took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"They are a part of you Sarah, just like they are a part of me. Denying them, denying your wolf would be like denying who you are. Like ripping away a part of you. I should know. I tried to deny my imprint and my children. Every day I did this was agony. For two years I lived in agony." I knew this story. I heard how he ignored aunt Leah and Harry for the first two years of Harry's life because he thought aunt Leah had slept with a vampire. She was raped, and Harry was the product of that. Because of this oversight, Embry stepped in and became like a father to Harry. He fell in love with him and aunt Leah but then she imprinted on uncle Kal and it was all over for him. He left the pack after that but he never stopped being there for them. Harry still talks to him every week and visits him constantly. It was all so sad and so unnecessary.

"Why didn't you just talk to them?"

"Because I thought I was right. I saw Harry and I was sure Leah had him with one of the Cullens." He shook his head. "I purposely ignored my imprint and my duties to her. I missed out on so much from their lives. Harry is such a good son and I hurt him and his mother. It is one of my greatest regrets. This is why you must give your pack a chance." I shook my head at his suggestion.

"You thought something that wasn't true. I know for a fact that they hate me." The two situations were totally different.

"Do you? Have you talked to them?" I glared at him.

"They pick on me. They tortured me. They call me names!" He was there when I finally confessed what they did to me. Did he forget about it already?!

"They _all_ call each other names. Liam and Lina got picked on by the pack every day since they phased, I was there, I saw it. But I also saw that it helped them come closer together. You also make fun of Liam and Lina and it brings you closer together." I couldn't even believe that he was suggesting that the two situations were the same.

"That's not the same. I never say things out of anger to purposely hurt them." He nodded as if he were agreeing with me.

"Perhaps I am wrong about them but good or bad, you cannot deny who you really are or what they mean to you. You can feel it can't you. You can feel them." I looked at the ground and nodded. I felt something the moment I got back but it never occurred to me that it was them. That I was feeling them just like I could feel uncle Kal and Liam and Lina. He brought my face up with his finger so that I would look at him.

"You are their leader, Sarah. It is your duty to lead them and protect them. Soon these boys will be your brothers and family must protect one another and stand for one another. Now that you have a little brother, you should have a better idea of what I mean." I nodded. He hugged me and then he left my room so that I could change.

I took a shower and considered what uncle Kal said. I didn't feel like a leader but that didn't change the fact that I was. Just like when Will was born. It was hard for me to feel like his big sister for the first few weeks. Just because I didn't feel like a big sister, didn't mean I wasn't one. Eventually I got used to it. I was going to have to get used to this too.

Lina was rummaging through my clothes when I came out. She also had a growth spurt. I was still bigger than her but now we were closer in size so we could borrow some clothing from each other.

"What do you think of this outfit?" She asked as soon as I got out.

"Cute. It will go perfect with the new belt that aunt Alice bought me. I think its still in my suitcase. There's matching jewelry for that belt too if you want to borrow."

"Duh! Of course I do, silly." She told me.

"Go take a shower and I'll look for it." She went into my shower and I got everything ready for her after I got dressed. I really liked our outfits.

Quill and Claire had stayed at the pack house all summer because Claire decided to take three online classes so that she only had to take two courses during the fall semester before she graduated. Claire was finishing up grad school while taking care of two kids so it was easier for her to be closer to home where they had many, MANY babysitters to help out. Uncle Quill and Embry's business grew and he was able to take Fridays off to spend time with his family in LaPush during the summer. It was nice having them home. Claire came into my room while I was finishing up my hair. She took my hand and made me twirl.

"Girl! You are definitely Alice's niece. Next time you're doing _my_ outfit." Lina and I laughed.

"Girls lets go. We're going to be late." Quill called from downstairs.

"Hold your horses, bossy pants! We're coming." She yelled from the door and then sat at my vanity to put on some lip gloss. I laughed again. They were such a cute couple. I took another five minutes to help her with her makeup and then we headed downstairs. Then we all got into the cars and drove to Sam's stupid party.

My parents were already there by the time we got there. It was a big party. All the former wolves were there. I don't think I had ever seen all the wolves together in one place. I was glad they were celebrating my brother's homecoming. But it made me thing that this was Sam's way of trying to fix things with my parents because he felt bad about how things went down last time. Sam saw us come and he made his way towards us. Towards _me_.

"Its been a while since you visited." He told me. I didn't know what to say so I nodded.

"I'm really happy you came. So are the boys." He said leaning towards their direction. I nodded my head again.

"Thank you for inviting me." I told him simply and I moved on to Emily who I actually liked. She gave me a huge and then fixed me a plate of food. I sat next to my parents and ate quietly. Lina was also sitting with me and Liam was standing by the food table eating as he served himself food. He sure ate a lot now that he was a wolf. Will was with my parents and their friends being a little charmer. I sighed as I saw how easy it was for him.

After we ate, Lina and I went for a walk as we were walking we overheard Jen (Jeremy's oldest) and Grace (Andrew's oldest) eating together and talking.

"Can you believe this party?" Grace asked Jen.

"I know Sam and Em actually did all this for _them_. Ugh!" She said and then ate another bite of her hamburger.

"They're not that bad. Dad really likes Nessie and so do I. She's really nice." Grace told Jen. I was surprised to hear her say that. I remember her mating pig noises right along with Jen a few years back.

"Oh so now that your little brother is a wolf you suddenly like the leeches."

"They're hybrids so they are part human and you are just jealous that your brother is still too little to be a wolf and that you haven't phased or imprinted on anyone."

"I'm not jealous of those freaks. And there's still time for me to turn into a wolf." Lina rolled her eyes at her. She was never turning into a wolf. Only female decedents of the three main bloodlines could phase. She was being crazy.

"When do you think your brother will turn?" Grace asked her.

"He's just turned eight so it will be a while." Jen looked sad about it. Didn't she know what this would mean for her brother? He would have to train to fight vampires. Its like she cared more about the status of having a wolf in the family than anything else.

I was done overhearing them. I signaled Lina to keep walking and we made it all the way to the beach. Liam was with the pack playing football. All the grownups were back at the house so the kids were at the beach. According to Lina, we were out of hearing range so we actually had some privacy from the adults. Sammy, Henry, Jamie were playing against Pete, Ryan and Liam. It was funny to watch. Pete, Ryan and Liam were the newest additions to the pack so they were still getting to know each other's moves, unlike the other three boys who were completely synchronized.

"Do you want to watch the game or do you want to keep walking?"

"You're tired already? I thought you were supposed to be a big bad wolf?" Some of the boys laughed. Lina tripped me and I fell on sand. They laughed louder.

"Watch it human." She said giggling. I grabbed her back jean pocket and made her sit next to me.

We watched the game and eventually the other girls came by with some of the younger kids. The older girls didn't sit next to us. Lissette, Brady's three year old came to sit on my lap and her twin brother Bradley sat between me and Lina and Zack (Stephen's son) was next to Lina, which I was sure was driving Jen crazy since she baby sat him all the time. I was sad that Mark wasn't with the group. Brady had an older boy named Mark but he was anti-social. He was six and preferred video games to sitting with family. He was in love with my mom so I figured he was probably with her. She was the only one who could get him to talk. Will was probably with them so I hoped that he could befriend Mark.

We all sat together making fun of the boys for playing poorly especially Liam. Lissette and Bradly would giggle when the younger boys would miss and when Lina made fun of them. Liam was getting the worse of it.

"Ok well if you think I'm so bad why don't you two come give it a shot." Liam told us.

"Oh just wait until Sarah turns, birdie, and we'll teach you boys a thing or two." Lina told him. I laughed. Lissette was giggling on my lap because Lina called him birdie. She kept chanting 'Birdie, birdie, birdie!' which made Liam laugh. I have her a hug and kissed the top of her head. She was just so cute. That's when Jen decided to ruin my day.

"If I haven't phased yet. She's definitely not going to phase." The wind must have carried her voice my way because I didn't think she meant for me to hear it. I turned my head to her.

"And why wouldn't I phase?" I asked her abruptly. She looked surprised at my reaction. I don't know why I even responded to her comment but I figured I was still a bit annoyed that she called my family freaks before. The boys were still playing but I could tell they were watching us. I was too angry to care.

"Because unlike me. You are part leech." She said loud enough for everyone to hear. Lissette stuck her tongue out at her. I sat her next to her brother so that I could walk over to Jen.

"What? Are going to suck our blood?" Casey, Jared's daughter, said mockingly. Casey was a year older than me so her comments made me madder because she was supposed to be more mature. At that moment, I really wished I had a tray so that I could break her face with it.

"No. Your blood is not worth drinking. Your blood is not worth anything. That's why you will never phase and I will." I said angrily.

"No you won't. Your blood is dirty, half breed. You will never phase and neither will your freak brother." Jen said. I head Lina and Liam growl simultaneously. Sammy quickly came over to us.

"That's enough, Jen!" Sammy told her. He put his hand on my shoulder but I ignored him. I was so sick of their elitist crap. I took a step closer to the girls and away from him.

"According to everyone, I am going to phase whether I want to or not because this is my pack. Unlike you, my dad is an alpha and that means that so am I. I have no choice. My brother is possibly a future spirit warrior and we'll have to sacrifice our lives to protect ungrateful humans like you! We don't even have a choice! Grow up, get over yourself and leave us the hell alone!" I yelled at them. A warm surge flowed through me as I yelled at them. Their eyes got wider the girls started crawling away from me. That's when I realized, I was shaking again and it made me very afraid because, unlike last time, I couldn't make it stop. I turned around to look at Lina for help and her eyes also widened. Lissette started crying and Lina covered Lizzie's eyes with her hand wordlessly.

"Lizzie?" I said. Sam was closest to me. He looked at me shocked, frozen, but he was the first to snap out of it to tell me what was wrong.

"Your eyes." He whispered but I could hear him perfectly. My hands were still shaking. Liam came towards me which made me turn towards the rest of the pack, they all gasped.

"The girls are right! Look at her. She's fucking thirsty!" Henry said angrily. I instantly felt a burn in my throat but it was bearable.

I turned away and I ran. I ran fast. I ran superhuman fast. I had no idea how I was doing it but I was moving swiftly through the trees at what I assumed was vampire speed. It would have been exhilarating if I wasn't so damn terrified. I could hear others running but I was faster than them. I could smell a woodsy animal scent in the wind and my brain made the connection that they were in their wolf form, chasing me. Chasing the leech in their territory! I started to panic. I was trying to figure out where to go when someone caught me. I screamed!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I have mixed feelings about this chapters but if I keep reading it I am going ot do a full re-write so I am posting it instead. Hope you enjoy it:-)**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

"Whoa. Its ok. Its just me." Liam said as I writhed in his arms. Eagles were faster than wolves so he was able to fly over us and get to me first.

"I don't want them to see me. I can't turn into a vampire here! They're going to kill me!" I told him frantically as I tried to get him to let me go. He looked at me worried.

"No one is going to hurt you." He assured me as five wolves appeared at that moment. One of them barked at me and two other growled at the one that barked. I recognized one of them was Lina because I had seen her wolf before and I assumed the other one was Sammy because he was the largest. I hid my face into Liam's neck. He put his arms around me protectively.

"Go back to the beach guys. There is nothing to see here." He told them calmly. His calm only made me madder and I started shaking even more. I didn't want to turn into a vampire in front of them and I kept trying to control my shaking. 'Control it!' I screamed at myself in my head. I kept trying to focus on being still when suddenly my entire body was in pain. I screamed.

"Shit! Sarah?" Liam said as my legs gave out and I fell onto him, screaming. Liam was holding me so he lowered me to the ground. I heard a rip and I realized it was my clothing. I was phasing and I was thirsty! "No! Not both!" _I can't be both._ _I won't be both!_ I growled mostly to myself and in an instant I felt my body go up in flames and several people were in my head. I was screaming. I had never felt anything like it before. The pain was like a combination of stabbing, piercing, throbbing, and a penetrating burning sensation that left me breathless.

_"Oh my God!" _Henry said as soon as he felt my mind.

_"Are you ok?"_ Lina asked me at the same time Henry started complaining.

"Sarah, talk to me. What's going on?" Liam asked me worriedly.

_"She's still thirsty. I don't want to feel her stupid thirst!"_ They were all talking at once.

_"She's not fully phased yet. Why can we hear her?"_ Sammy asked. All their voices were in my head at once.

_"How the hell should I know?!"_ Lina snapped at him. I could feel his worry as well as Lina and Liam's.

"Too many voices." I finally managed to answer Liam.

_"Why the hell is she in our pack? Shouldn't she be in her dad's?"_ Jamie asked Henry who only agreed that I should be anywhere but with them. I could feel their disgust and hatred mixed in with a fear and concern for me. I was surprised to feel their worry through their utter disgust.

_"Hey I'm not disgusted and neither is Liam. The rest of them can go to hell."_ Lina told me. Easy for her to say. The pack was more than just disgusted, they were afraid. They were both afraid for me and afraid of me. I felt out of control. Like I was dethatching from my body but I also felt powerful. They could feel it too. It was the alpha. This was her pack, my pack. She was connected to all of them just at I was. It was like she was raging, clawing at me to be released. Or maybe it wasn't the alpha, but something definitely wanted to get out. It was reaching for them, reaching for the pack.

_"Sarah? What the hell is going on now?" _I heard dad think. I didn't know how but his entire pack was suddenly in my head too and none of them were phased.

"Whoa." Liam said. I looked up at him and he had a shocked look.

_"Sarah? Was that Sarah?"_ I heard uncle Seth ask at the same time Collin said _"WTF"_. Uncle Seth was still in Africa with aunt Eve doing the doctors beyond borders. How the hell could he hear me?

_"Sarah is that you?"_ Aunt Leah asked me. I could see through her mind that dad had run into the woods. Aunt Leah went after my dad and uncle Kal closed his eyes. I didn't see what he did after he closed his eyes. Collin had also run after dad.

_"What's going on Sarah?"_ Dad said.

_"Sarah phased? She's not phased is she?"_ Collin asked confused at the same time the boys started telling them what happened.

_"She's not."_ Uncle Kal answered Collin for me. He was still at the party. He was thinking he should fly to me but he was trying to concentrate. I didn't understand why and then his mind disappeared from my head. I was grateful. Having so many people talk at once was disorienting.

_"She can't be one of us. She's fucking thirsty!"_ Jaime complained mimicking Henry. Henry agreed with him angrily.

_"So what! Can't you see something is wrong here? She is in too much pain. This isn't normal."_ Sammy yelled at him. I was still burning. My skin felt like a combination of stabs and flames. My body felt like it was about to explode.

Uncle Kal's words were suddenly in my head. '_You have to claim them. You have to claim your pack and your place as their alpha._' I could still feel the thirst. I couldn't feel more far from a wolf. Maybe they were all wrong about me. Maybe I wasn't a wolf. That idea made me start writhing on the ground in more pain. The stabbing was worst, as if the wold was clawing at me to get out. I was surrounded by whimpers at that moment.

I looked around and I saw Lina. I looked straight into her eyes as she whimpered at my pain. I was sweating. I didn't have to imagine the pain and worry she felt for me. I felt it. I ignored everyone else because it was too overwhelming. I concentrated on the love and worry of my family. I focused Lina and Liam at first because they were both closest to me. Then I focused on Sammy, my father, my aunt and uncles. I could even feel my brother. I concentrated on the people who loved me. They were much more than my pack. They were my family.

A new sensation came over me. I had never felt anything like it before. It was as if every emotion had a texture, not so much like the feeling of different hands touching my skin but like the feel of different strokes. As different as the different types of affection they held for me. I concentrated on it and for a moment, I felt every wolf in the pack, even the ones that had stopped phasing. It was like I was connected to them, just like uncle Kal said. I tried to concentrate on that connection instead of the pain. The more I concentrated on the connection the more I felt like I was disconnected from my own body and from the pain until, for one single moment, it was like I was no longer in my body. That's when I exploded and I was on four paws.

"Whoa! I guess you're not turning into a leech after all." Liam said as he stepped back. I looked back at him annoyed but he was smiling. He was teasing me.

_"Finally!"_ Lina said and she went behind a tree and to change.

_"Ew! I saw her lady parts!"_ Ryan complained.

_"Dumb kids." _Aunt Leah thought.

_ "Don't leave!"_ I told Lina in a growl. Something was wrong with me. I was tensing. There was some part of me that was aware that there were wolves around me. Staring at me, challenging me.

_"Relax! I'll be right back. I want you to see how easy it is to phase back."_ She told me. My mind was connected to hers so I was able to see how easily she switched back to her human form. I wanted to phase back too. I could see my wolf through their eyes. It was white but my eyes were black. I saw the white wolf but I couldn't recognize her. It was as if I was still disconnected from my body. The wolf looked weak and it didn't like that. It didn't like that we were surrounded. Sammy took a step forward and I saw the white wolf growl at him through their eyes.

"Sarah. Stay calm!" Liam told me just as Lina came out from behind the trees.

_ "Hey! How come we can hear the kids again?"_ Uncle Seth asked dad.

_"Why can't the girls phase somewhere else?"_ Ryan complained.

"_Why can't **she**? Phase somewhere else._" Henry added. Now that I wasn't in pain, their concern for me was over. They were all still talking at once and the emotions I was feeling was overwhelming but Henry's comment awakened something inside me, something feral and powerful. I heard the loud feral bark and Henry's wolf quickly lowered itself before me. I could feel the anger surging inside both of us. The white wolf recognized them, she recognized them as the ones who tormented me. They disrespected me and she was pissed. I was staring at them and one by one the boys cowered before her glare, all except Sammy.

"Sarah? You're scaring me." Lina said behind me. I could see through their eyes that Liam was holding her back. They were both behind me and the wolf almost looked like she was protecting them, protecting her pack.

_"We're all your pack, Sarah. You need to calm down. These boys are just kids, you can't hurt them."_ Sammy told me. It wasn't a command. He was afraid of giving me a command because I was an alpha too and it might cause me too attack. He shouldn't have been afraid. Even though my wolf was furious, she was also aware of who everyone was, some part of recognized them as my pack too.

Sammy took another step forward positioning himself in front of the boys, just in case I attacked. My wolf took another step too but I stopped us both from going any further. Sammy was important to me but his wolf was an alpha and he was able to resist whatever power my wolf was projecting. That realization made the wolf growl at him but Sammy held his ground. What the hell was wrong with me?

_"Sarah. Control yourself. You cannot hurt those boys."_ I heard dad warn me. The other wolves had been quiet before, listening to my interaction with my pack. I saw that they were not far from us, they had stopped so that I could concentrate on gaining control, but, suddenly, they were all running toward us and started talking at once again. Some were asking my dad to command me to stop, while the others were speculating if I was becoming an alpha or if my wolf was just out of control. They started remembering the day my dad became an alpha. They were comparing us, I didn't like it.

_"Shut up!"_ I told all of them in my mind and instantly all the chatter stopped. I was alone in my mind and it was easier to control the wolf. I saw the wolf take a few steps back until I was able to sit. Once I was able to relax a bit the exhaustion set in. I didn't want to be there, I was too tired. I wanted to phase back but I couldn't with all of them staring. I wanted them all to go back to the beach but now that I was alone in my head I didn't know how to tell them. I started to feel weak, as if holding this form took too much of my energy. I didn't know how long I could hold it and I was afraid to be naked in front of all of them.

"Guys, you heard her, she wants some privacy." Lina told them. All the wolves looked at her. I couldn't believe she heard that! I thought I closed my mind off from them!

"Don't look so surprised. I've been hearing you this whole time. We all know I'm awesome."

"I heard her too genius." Liam told her before he turned back to me. "You didn't close your mind to us cause we weren't in your head. As for them, I think they can still hear you too. I think you just gave them your first command. You can't hear _them_ cause _they_ can't talk." He said with a smirk.

"Nice." Lina said and she went over to Henry and Jamie to pet their heads. "This has gotta be soo much fun for you two." Liam chuckled at her.

"Here." Liam took off his shirt. "Come on guys. Let's give the lady some privacy." He said as he walked away with the other wolves.

_"How do I phase back?"_ I asked Lina.

_"Calm down. Breath. Don't fight it. You know what you want your body to do so let it."_ I head uncle Kal in my head again. I had felt his presence before but I hadn't felt him this strongly before. I followed his advice. He was right. My body felt too weak to hold this form and it wanted to turn back. I wanted to turn back so I did. Thankfully, I wasn't thirsty anymore but I felt weak. Lina had to help me put on Liam's shirt because I was too weak. Liam came back with the guys once I was dressed. They were all in human form.

"Her eyes are still black." Henry commented.

"Will you shut up about it?" Lina snapped at him.

"Maybe Sarah should just take your ability to talk again." Sammy offered him.

"Or maybe we should let her bite you ass off." Liam suggested. Henry crossed his arms angrily.

"Come here." Liam said as he picked me up in his arms. Dad and his pack showed up at that moment. Dad instantly phased back. He was naked.

"Come on! I think the poor kid is traumatized enough!" Sammy said to him. Dad rolled his eyes and put on his pants right there. The others went behind the trees to change.

"Give her to me" He said. Liam handed me to my dad like a rag-doll.

"Your mom is on her way." He told me. "Is your body still burning?" Dad asked me. I shook my head, I felt too weak to talk. I wanted to tell him that the burning was actually more like my body was being electrified. Not electrocuted, but electrified, like every nerve ending in my body was releasing some kind of energy or electric shock. It was excruciating.

"We should take her back to the house. We are close from here." Uncle Kal suggested. Dad ran through the forest and across the tree line to the house. We got there in a few minutes. He laid me on the couch in the living room. Mom had caught up to us by the time we got to the house.

"Baby, are you ok?" Mom asked me as soon as dad laid me down.

"It felt like I was electrified. My whole body hurt and burned and stabbed. Now I just feel weak." The entire pack was there too. Dad saw me eyeing them.

"Alright kids. I think we got it from here." Dad told them. All of the boys left, even Collin. All except for Sammy.

"Go home Sammy." Lina told him.

"She's in my pack too." He told her. Dad looked at him but then he nodded. I wished he would just make him leave. His presence was the worst because I liked him and I felt bad for growling at him.

Mom started examining me as everyone got settled around me in the living room.

"Maybe we should call Eve or Carlisle?" Dad suggested.

"Eve is all the way across the world. There's nothing wrong with her. Her body is different so her phasing will be different. I can run some blood work if you want." She offered.

"What about the eyes? And the weakness?"

"She's a wolf vampire hybrid. She's weak because she's thirsty." Aunt Leah suggested. I didn't like where she was going with this.

"She was strong enough to phase into a wolf and phase back. I think she just needs to drink a little blood and she'll be fine. As good as new."

Aunt Leah went into the kitchen and came out a moment later with a metal cup and straw. I could smell the blood. It smelled good. I immediately started shaking my head.

"I'm not drinking that!" They all looked at each other and mom moved her head signaling everyone to get out. Aunt Leah gave the cup to mom who was sitting next to me on the couch.

"I'm still not drinking it!" I growled at her. Lina had been sitting on one of the sofas. She rolled her eyes and got up. I thought she was going to leave the room but then she did the unimaginable. She casually took the metal cup from my mom's hand then put the straw against her lips and took a sip. Several sips!

"Lina!" Dad said in shock. Mom just stood there gaping at her with her mouth open. Lina removed the straw from her mouth and swallowed one more time to get the remainder of it cleared out of her mouth. I saw her take a deep breath and look at the ceiling as if she was trying to concentrate. Then she put the cup in front of me.

"Yummy." She said with a look of revulsion even though she was trying hard to smile at me. "Your turn." She told me. I took the cup still looking at her.

"You drank blood!" I told her.

"Yep. Now the boys have two blood drinkers to bitch about. Drink!" She told me. Mom nodded at me and I drank the stupid blood. It was delicious and I instantly felt better. Damn it! Lina got up from the floor with a satisfied look. Mom put her arm around her.

"You're officially my favorite." She whispered in her ear.

"Mine too. Sorry Liam." Dad said.

"Hey. I agree. She's totally bad ass." Liam told him.

"You're looking a little green there Sammy." Aunt Leah told him smiling. I looked at him. He did look like he was about to faint.

"I'm fine." He said and the rest of the family laughed. I finished my cup and instantly felt stronger.

"Want more?" Mom asked me. I shook my head no. "How are you feeling?"

"Stronger. I feel a lot better actually." I got up from the couch.

"I want to try again." I announced. Dad shook his head but uncle Kal moved forward.

"Let's go outside little one." He told me. Dad looked like he was about to protest but uncle Kal shook his head. We all went outside. I looked at everyone around me and I felt myself blush. There was no way I was phasing in front of everyone. Aunt Leah came up to me and put her arm around me.

"Come on, sweet pea. Let's see what you're really made of." She dragged me out behind the trees.

"Ok. So phasing for the second time should be a little easier. All you have to do is…"

"I know what to do now. I think." I told her, cutting her off. She smirked at me and gestured with her hand to go ahead. I took off Liam's clothes. It was easier to feel the connection this time because it never really went away. I concentrated on the connection it was like my body knew what I wanted and instantly all their thoughts were in my head. A second later I was on all fours. Aunt Leah also phased. I could feel her confusion because I had connected to her mind before I had phased. I had seen myself in their eyes before but this time I finally noticed what I really looked like. I wasn't all white. I had flecks of cream in my fur. My eyes were also cream with flecks of red in them. I saw through aunt Leah's memory that they had turned that color right before I phased just like they had been black when I was at the beach, before I phased the first time. I was thirsty then but I wasn't anymore no they were their real color.

_"We'll need to switch you to a veggie vamp diet. The reddish eyes are kinda freaky."_ Aunt Leah told me. I wanted my dad to phase to know what he thought of my wolf and within seconds he was a wolf and in my head. I noticed his surprise because he hadn't phased willingly.

_"How did you do that? You didn't even command him to phase. You just.."_

_"Wished it."_ I said in shock. I was confused so confused. I felt uncle Kal's presence again. I knew he could hear me and suddenly his mind was accessible to me so I showed him what happened and asked if he could do this too.

_"I don't remember much from before but I do not think I had the power to command others by willing it. You have a very powerful and very dangerous gift little one."_ I didn't know what to say. I was afraid of what this meant and what the other boys would say about this ability.

_"You don't have to be afraid, baby girl. We'll help you gain control of it."_ Daddy told me. I was glad the wolf wasn't threatened by him. She knew he was my dad and now that I felt stronger it was easier to differentiate my feelings and the wolf's instincts. I was searching within my new instincts when I felt something.

"What is it?" Dad asked me, breaking my concentration. I glared at him but then I looked away. My wolf was very aware of the new sensation. Something was calling to me and I felt the need to run. With everything that happened I was able to ignore it but now it was tugging at me. I wasn't able to ignore it any longer so and neither could my wolf, I ran. I ran and I realized I was running fast and aimlessly as if I wasn't in control. The wolf was.

_"Sarah!"_ Dad called after me. I didn't know where I was going but something was calling me away.

_"Sarah **stop**!"_ I head my dad command me and I came to a screeching halt. I turned around to face him and was horrified when a roaring growl escaped my wolf's lips and my shackles went up in my rage. My family caught up to me and were surrounding me. The wolf roared again.

_"Sarah calm down! Control yourself!"_ Uncle Kal told me. I was beyond calming. It wasn't just me who was stronger, this time. The wolf and I were both stronger and she was raging inside of me. She was outraged at my dad's command, she felt the power in it and she was rebelling against him. It was the strangest thing I ever felt. It was as if I was two different people. I loved my father and I was afraid for him but I was also enraged by his mere presence. My emotions were all over the place. I was enraged by my father's command and without even realizing what was happening I moved forward towards my father in an aggressive manner. For some reason my dad was silent. I saw in his mind that he was trying to control his own alpha instincts to command me. His wolf went back a step and I forced myself to take a step back too. It was difficult.

_"She's not in control. She's like a newborn."_ Collin said. I saw his memory of a newborn. I saw the bloodthirsty, cold, heartless rage they attacked my family with. I hated the comparison. I growled at him and his wolf immediately submitted. My dad growled at me again and I stepped forward towards him again.

_"Sarah. Think about this. Are you really going to kill your father?"_ Aunt Leah asked me. She thought about the day I was born. I saw the memory I her mind as clearly as if I was there and I saw its echo of my father's mind even if he wasn't speaking to me directly.

* * *

**_13 years ago..._**

Jacob walked in through the door to the apartment. Nessie and Leah were on the couch. They had been talking and looking at baby catalogs that afternoon. Kal had decided that Leah needed a break from the baby so he asked Nessie to take her out. Nessie had taken Leah to a late breakfast and then they decided to go back to the apartment and watch movies. After the movies, they looked at baby catalogs for the baby's new room. Nessie was happy because Alice had allowed her to choose the furniture for the baby room at the main house. She had no say for the baby room in the apartment. Alice and Esme had completely taken over to turn one of the guest bedrooms into a baby palace and the transformation was supposed to be a surprise.

"Hi babe." Jacob said as he walked in. She was radiant in his eyes. She was beaming in a healthy glow that made her inhumanly beautiful. Her belly was round and swollen with life and he couldn't be more proud to be her husband. He walked over to the couch and put his hand on her cheek to feel her soft petal skin. He leaned down as she angled her face towards him for a kiss. The kiss turned out to be a bit steamier than he had wanted. He had missed her terribly during his classes and the moment her took her bottom lip and tasted her sweetness he forgot he was in the company of their best friend.

"Oh gross. Get a room, you freaks!" Leah told them and she took a pillow and started hitting Jacob with it. They both laughed at their mutual friend. He kneeled before his wife so that he could kiss his unborn daughter. He pressed his lips against her belly and then rose to go to the kitchen for a snack.

The women continued to chat as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal. He was looking for a spoon when he heard a loud gasp followed by a cry. He ran to the living room to find Nessie on her feet leaning over the coffee table with Leah holding her. There was a puddle of liquid at her feet and her legs dripped with it.

"Call Carlisle. I'm getting her to the car." Leah said quickly. He took out his phone and was immediately responded to.

"Carlisle, her water broke. We are on our way." He said as he hurried out with his wife and their best friend. They were at the main house within 8 minutes. Edward had been pacing back and forth desperately awaiting his daughter's arrival. It took everything in him not to set off running and just take her from the car to rush her home. As soon as they parked, he was at her door, taking his baby girl into his arms and rushing her to the infirmary. Carlisle had set up everything for his granddaughter. He was determined to have a perfect delivery for his first great grandchild. The first of many, he secretly hopped.

Nessie was panting a bit when Edward placed her on the bed as careful as if he were placing a bubble on a needle. Bella was at her daughter's side holding her hand and whispering encouragements into her ear. Everyone knew the delivery would go well. Alice had already seen Bella holding her granddaughter. However, it is a parent's prerogative to worry. Edward kissed his daughter's free hand as Jacob changed. Once he was done, Jacob walked over to his wife and Edward reluctantly yielded his spot to his son. He went to stand next to stand at the head of the bed to watch carefully the proceedings. He trusted his father to bring his granddaughter out safely but still he was desperate with anxiety and worry over his baby girl's pain. Jacob's hands were trembling and his face paled as Nessie let out her first scream. She was not expecting it to hurt. She had hoped that her vampire side would shield her from any pain but her body had changed the moment she became pregnant.

It was still a wonder to her how they hadn't noticed that her scent and heartbeats were becoming more and more human at the beginning of her pregnancy. As she came closer to her due date this change was more apparent. Her supernatural senses had dulled and her body had changed to accommodate the human child that was forming inside of her. She loved her pregnancy. She loved her appetite for human food and rejoiced at her odd cravings. Peas. She wondered if she would still love them after the baby was out. She would miss being pregnant but she was longing to finally meet the sweet child that had grown in her womb and had given her the gift of humanity even if it only was for a few short months. Nevertheless, she had hoped that she would be spared this slice of humanity. Edward chuckled.

"You can't have it both ways." He told her. Nessie grubbed profanities at her father with her thoughts. He only smiled when they were immediately followed with remorseful apologies. Edward kissed his daughter's hair and coaxed her to breathe as they had practiced so many times before. After an examination, Carlisle announced that the baby was ready. Jacob was relieved to hear that his precious wife would not be in pain for much longer and that he would soon greet his precious daughter. He had been excited for months. With every inch that his wife grew, he loved his baby more and more. Nessie held on to his hand tightly as she pushed but he barely felt it due to her weakened state. Even with Alice's assurances his girls still worried him. One loud growl and, a moment later, he heard the loud cry that came from a bloody mess wrapped in a blanket. Carlisle took the child away but before he could protest Carlisle returned to them with a clean baby.

"She's perfect. She's beautiful." He told them as he handed the baby to her mother. Carlisle was beaming with joy. He recognized that if he were human, he would be in tears at the sight that was before him. Nessie was looking into her daughter's eyes with tears of happiness. Jacob leaned over her stroking his daughter's arm, with tears of his own is his eyes. Edward was holding his wife who was leaning her head on his chest. Her expression too was a joyful crying even if the tears were not present. His son, Edward, was in complete awe. He doubted he was even listening to his father's ramblings of joy due to his one state of ecstasy.

Nessie tuned and looked at her husband. The look they shared was one of true and pure love. Both their faces became overwhelmed with emotion again and new tears flowed down their cheeks as they shared an intimate kiss.

"Do you want to hold her?" Nessie asked her husband already knowing the answer and already moving to hand her to him. Jacob took the baby with all the gentleness of a new father. He held her in his arms overcome with emotion and joy. He leaned towards her and kissed her little forehead.

"Happy birthday, baby girl. I'm your dad. Mommy and I love you so much." He told her, his voice breaking a bit. Nessie put her hand on her husband's arm and Jake brought their baby closer so they could both have access to their daughter. Nessie took her little hand out of the blanket with one finger and kissed it.

"You're _our_ little miracle Sara Bell Black. We will love you every day and every minute of eternity." She told her.

"Every second." Jacob added as a tear rolled down his cheek.


	9. Chapter 9

******Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

The memory ended when I unwillingly turned back to my human form. I couldn't hold my wolf form because of all the emotions I was feeling. They were too much for the wolf to process. I was in human form on all fours, with my head hanging between my arms. I was sobbing, heaving with loud sobs caused by the emotional memory. Dad had phased back too. It was just him and me. We were both naked but it didn't matter anymore. I had almost attacked my father. I had almost killed the man that loved me more than I have ever felt anyone love me, except for my mother. He took me into his arms and rocked me back and forth, whispering soothing words that I didn't deserve.

"You weren't in control, baby girl. It happens to all of us."

"I could have hurt you! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, daddy. I love you so much!"

"Shh. I know. I love you too." He said kissing my cheeks. It took me a few minutes to calm down. Once I did, he gave me his shirt and put on a pair of pants that were on the ground. They smelled like Collin's. This part of phasing I would never get used to. Daddy put his arm around me and he walked me back to the house together. I tried to clear my tears but they just kept falling.

"First time I phased, I was having a fight with my dad about your grandma." I wiped my tears away and nodded.

"Yeah. I heard you were in love with her before you imprinted on mom. The whole thing is so gross." I told him. He chuckled.

"It happens. Anyway, I almost killed my dad when I first phased. I think if your kids try to kill you, we'll have a nice little family tradition." He smiled at me and wiggled his brows. I frowned.

"This family is so weird." He laughed and hugged me one more time before we reached the house. Mom came over to me and she kissed my cheeks as daddy held me against him.

"Its been a long day. Let's get you to bed so you can get some rest, baby." She said and dad nodded agreeing with her. Daddy walked me into the house and upstairs to my bedroom. He tucked me into my bed and kissed my head.

"Just remember, that good or bad, I will always love you baby girl. Every second of eternity, just like I promised you." I nodded. His comment made my eyes sting again. Mom smiled at us. She kissed me and told me goodnight. I whispered 'I love you' to them as they left. Then I let the sleep and wariness take me. That was the easiest part of my day. I was exhausted.

I woke up because I felt hot and uncomfortable. I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't alone. Lina was in my bed on one side and Liam was on the other. It had been a long time since the three of us slept on the same bed. I was facing Lina. She looked so sweet and peaceful when she slept. It was kinda funny considering she was such a brat when she was awake. I tried to slowly worm my way off the bed so that I didn't wake them. It didn't work.

"Were are you going?" Liam asked me in a very sleepy voice.

"To get something to eat. I'm starving!" I whispered but I woke Lina up anyway. She stretched out at that moment.

"Me too." She said as she yawned and literally rolled herself out of bed. Liam rubbed his face against the pillow but then he sat up. He always did that. I sat up too.

"What are you two doing in my bed?"

"We wanted to see you. We decided to sleep in here since you were sleeping so deeply." Lina told me as she fixed her hair. I started fixing my hair too and I got out of the bed. Liam kept staring at me.

"You ok?" He asked me worried.

"I was having a dream of running through the woods. I was a chasing a white wolf. I kept running but I couldn't catch it. When I finally found it the white wolf had blood all over its snout and there was a bleeding brown wolf bowing to it. It was awful." I told them. They both looked at each other before they looked at me.

"Sarah, do you remembered what happened yesterday?" Liam asked me. As if I could ever forget.

"Yeah, the white wolf tried to kill my father." I told them coldly. I hadn't forgotten how I lost control. How _she_ tried to kill my father. I hated that furry white bitch!

I left the room and went downstairs. Lina and Liam both followed after me as I went into the kitchen. I looked at the kitchen clock and saw that it was after 3am in the morning. Everyone was be asleep so we had to be very quiet. I looked in the fridge and found a stack of sandwiches that mom had made the night before and I took them out to throw them in the grill. Liam and Lina sat on the barstools and watched me from the counter. We were all silent for a long time. I took out the sandwiches from the grill, set them in plates, then I threw some more in. I gave Liam and Lina each a sandwich and we started eating, quietly.

"I want to try again." I said after long period of silence. My voice was quiet because I was unsure but I felt like I needed to try it again. I needed to feel in control for once.

"What? Are you crazy? I think we should wait until your parents wake up to discuss it."Liam told me. I saw that he had his I'm setting my foot down look he inherited from aunt Leah.

"I'm not phasing with my dad again. My dad is an alpha. I won't let the white wolf tear him down because of it and I won't let _her_ bully me or control me. _I_ need to have control. Please Liam. Nobody is out tonight, I'll be fine." I pleaded with him. He had his stubborn look but it started to waver when we stared at each other.

"Sarah, no offense but you and your wolf are not two separate beings." Lina told me. I took their plates and walked over to the grill to take the second round of sandwiches out. I turned it off before I gave them their food. I shouldn't have broken my eye contact with Liam. His stubborn look was back and stronger than before.

"I'm sorry Sarah. But I think you need to stay in until everybody is up." Liam said firmly. I don't know why his tone made me so angry but it did. I grabbed the counter top hard trying to control myself.

"I wasn't really asking for permission." I said almost in a growl and I instantly felt ashamed for talking to him like that.

"Is that you? Or is that the white bitch talking." Liam said also in an angry voice I have never heard him use on me.

"Liam! You two really need to chill!" Lina said. She looked between both of us. Shocked.

"What? You heard her growl at me! She wants to do whatever the hell she wants and were supposed to sit back and let her?" He asked her angrily but then he turned to me. "You want to be the big bad wolf now? Go ahead. Go put our lives at risk. See if I care." I was a combination of both angry and hurt. Liam had never talked to me like that before. EVER. I felt the tears sting my eyes so I walked out the kitchen door and went outside.

"Seriously! What is wrong with you?!" I heard Lina yell at him in a loud whisper. Thank goodness all the rooms were sound proof or we would have waken our parents. I heard all of the sounds in the forest. I still felt like I needed to be somewhere else. I wanted to run. The emptiness inside of me felt stronger than ever and I felt like I was drowning in it. Having Liam yell at me like that didn't help. It made me feel even more alone and empty. I tried to concentrate on the sounds outside to distract myself. I heard something on roof deck on top of me and I got scared. I went out the garden and looked up to see my little brother on the deck roof.

"Will!" He jumped off the roof and landed right in my arms.

"Are you crazy?!" He nearly gave me a heart attack. I was not used to seen toddlers jump off roof tops unharmed.

"I'm thirsty." He told me with a puppy dog look that I could not say no to.

"Fine." Lina and Liam came out at that moment.

"I can take him." Lina offered. I had a sense that she was afraid that I would hurt my little brother. Normally, I would find that laughable but I did try to kill my father a few hours ago.

'Please Sisi.' He projected into my mind. That did it! Uncle Emmet and Chris taunted me all summer about my lack of killer instinct. Chris called me a big sisi in front of Will I got mad and stuck my tongue out at Chris. Will didn't understand why I was mad because I was _his_ big Sisi. It was the cutest thing ever.

"I'll take him." I told Lina with more confidence and I walked into the forest. I felt Liam's eagle overhead. Of course Liam didn't trust me. Jerk! I put Will on the ground.

"Do you know what you're looking for or do you need my help?" I asked him and he just rolled his eyes at me.

"I can do it. I'll race you to the closest stag!" He said as he ran off. I panicked for a moment and I ran after him. I could smell him through the forest and when I caught up to him he had a stag down on the ground and was drinking from it. After a moment he drained the whole stag own his own.

"I can't believe you drained a whole stag. Mom and dad took you hunting yesterday!" He looked at me and shrugged.

"I felt thirsty again yesterday. I felt you and..."

"I was thirsty yesterday and you felt it." I interrupted him, realizing what had happened. He nodded.

"Great! I'm affecting all of you. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear." I slumped down on the ground trying not to cry again. Gosh! Why did I cry so much? It sure as heck didn't fix anything. Will sat next to me on the ground.

"Where would you go?" He asked me.

"I don't know. It's just an expression." Will was very very smart, but there were still some concepts that were new to him. It was cute. It was the one quality that made him seem child-like.

"But you wanted to go before? You wanted go to Italy. When Mac died. You wanted to take her place."

"How did you..." I was about to ask him how he knew that but I stopped myself. He was a mind reader. "You saw that?" I asked him. He nodded sadly and I put my arm around him. I felt terrible. He was only a few months old. There was so much he didn't understand.

"That's not what I want anymore. I won't leave you." I tried to reassure him.

"Then why were you running that direction?"

"What?" Now I was confused. I don't remember running in any particular direction.

"Daddy told momma you were running east. What else is to the east?" I was surprised at this revelation. I didn't realize the direction I was headed when I ran.

"I'm sorry Will. I promise, I won't run away from you again. I just need to get a handle on my wolf."

"You haven't accepted the wolf. That's why she's fighting you."

"What?"

"Your dream. She's trying to get your attention. You need to accept her and the thirst and the pack." He said and ticked the items of his little fingers. I tickled him.

"What makes you say that? Are you some sort of wolf vamp expert now?" I asked as he squirmed and laughed.

"Stop! I overheard uncle Kal talking to aunt Leah!" He confessed. I stopped tickling him and gave him an annoyed glare.

"What don't you hear?" He shrugged.

"I want to see her. Your wolf."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please. Sarah. Please…" I looked at him slightly terrified by the idea but a part of me knew that I would never hurt my baby brother. He was the only one on my side and the one instinct the wolf and I shared was the instinct to protect what was ours. I stepped back and Will turned around. I removed my clothes and let myself connect with my wolf again. I was on all fours within a second. I noticed it was easier.

"You're so pretty Sarah."

_"Thanks twerp. Ok you saw me so turn around so I can phase back."_

"Nope. I want a ride."

_"What?! Show and tell is over little bro."_ As usual he didn't listen. He hopped on my back as if I didn't just try to rip our dad apart.

_"Will!" _I whined._"I almost attacked dad a few hours ago. Mom and dad are going to be pissed."_

"Then _we_ won't tell them Sisi, now let's go!" He said so excited that it made me laugh. I ran through the forest as fast as I could. I heard him giggle.

_"Don't you think its about time to go home Sarah?"_ Sammy said.

_"Have you been there the whole time? I really need to get better at this."_ I said that last part more to myself. I saw in his mind that he just phased in. I was too busy having fun to notice. I slowed down to a trot but I didn't stop. I was a little embarrassed to have him in my mind after the way I acted.

_"You don't need to feel embarrassed. Those boys get on my nerves too. I'm making Henry run patrol all weekend as punishment."_

_"Thanks Sammy."_ I was starting to feel very shy again but thankfully Will interrupted us.

_"Faster Sarah! You can do better than this!"_ He complained.

_"I think you've been having a little bit too much fun. Shouldn't you both be in bed?"_ I saw in his mind that he was glad I was finally having fun in wolf form but he was worried that Will was with me. He was concerned for my little brother. I couldn't even be annoyed with it. I was touched.

_"She's doing fine Sammy. I got her back_." Liam told him. I was surprised again. I knew Liam could hear me but I didn't know he could hear Sammy. I was surprised they could hear each other while Liam was in his bird form.

"We can all hear each other Sisi."

_"You made us one pack again."_ Liam informed me. I saw in his mind how the entire pack had a meeting about me. They were all in animal form and they were all able to communicate with one another.

"Except me. I couldn't hear them that time. I only hear when you're phased too." Will informed me.

_"So you all met behind my back to talk about me?"_ I felt the anger rise and I stopped running.

_"Cool it Sarah! You still got your baby brother on your back."_ Liam reminded me.

"Its ok Sarah." Will told me and then he leaned forward and hugged my neck. I could see him through Liam's eyes. He was so adorable. I instantly relaxed. I loved my baby brother too much to risk him getting hurt.

"I love you too Sisi." He told me. Sammy showed up at that moment. He surprised me. I instantly felt protective and I growled at him.

_"I would never hurt either of you. You know that."_ I did know that. It was just hard to control myself in this form, especially when he surprised me like that. I hated that I wasn't in control like the other wolves, in fact, I didn't feel like the other wolves did. This body felt foreign to me. It was like I had my mind but the wolf had my emotions and reactions.

_"It will probably be like that for a while. You didn't exactly have an easy experience phasing. Maybe some part of your brain is rejecting it because you had so much pain."_ Liam suggested. He flew down from the branch he was on and phased to his wolf form right before he touched the ground. It was pretty cool to watch.

_"Maybe."_ I said but I was doubtful. _"Alright. I think I'm ready to go back home."_

_"Good. Lina is waiting for us. She said she'd have a real breakfast ready and that I was to apologize and bring you straight home."_ Liam informed me. I wasn't sure if that was his apology because it definitely didn't sound like one.

_"I'm sorry for yelling at you. I think I'm still a bit overwhelmed with everything that's happened I still have a hard time controlling my own wolf and I'm really worried about you but its no excuse. I should have been more supportive."_ He told me. I nodded my head in agreement.

_"Aren't you going to forgive me?"_ He asked me and gave me the wolf version of puppy dog eyes.

"Family always forgives, Sisi." Will reminded me. I rolled my eyes at both of them.

_"I forgive you. Jerk…"_ I mumbled that last part and then I licked his face.

_"Gee thanks."_ He told me. I giggled and then I turned to look at Sammy.

_"You want some breakfast?" _

_"Um. Sure."_ He said. He was surprised that I included him. He shouldn't have been surprised. Other than Liam and Lina, he was the only one who's been nice to me. I really liked Sammy. Liam did a mental throat clear and then I realized our minds were still connected.

_"Let's get some breakfast."_ Liam said quickly.

_"You ready, Will?" _Liam asked my little brother trying to cover for me.

"Yep. Go fast. Make the last one count, Sisi." The three of us raced through the forest together. I could feel Sammy's embarrassment at my remark but I could also feel something else. It wasn't negative.

_"I'm flattered, Sarah."_ He told me. A new wave of embarrassment took over me.

_"Don't be embarrassed Sarah. I like you too."_ He said but I could tell that it was not the same. We got to the house, changed in the outdoor changing rooms, and went in for breakfast.

"Liam Clearwater! I thought I told you to bring her straight home!" Lina yelled in an angry whispered voice that was comical.

"Relax! She was having fun with Will. Besides, she did good this time. I think she's getting the hang of it." I grinned at her and then laughed at her annoyed expression.

"What the hell is going on here?" Collin said in a sleepy voice. His room was on the main floor so we woke him up with all the noise.

"Breakfast! You want some?" Lina asked him offering a plate full of pancakes smothered in syrup as a peace offering for waking him. He looked at all of us suspiciously. Then he took the pancakes and went back to his room.

"Keep it down!" He said before he shut the door. We all started laughing and had our breakfast at the family table. After breakfast, I took Will back to bed and then headed downstairs. Sammy was saying his goodbyes.

"You leaving?" I asked him. I was trying to hide my disappointment. It was nice to have him hang out with us.

"Yeah. I was only supposed to be out for a quick run. Mom will be pissed if I'm not there when she wakes."

"Please. I've never seen aunt Em get mad." Liam told him.

"You'd be surprised. Pregnant women are crazy. Bye guys, thanks for inviting me." We gave us a wave and walked out the door.

"Sammy Uley having breakfast with bloodsuckers. Scandalous! What was he doing here anyway?" Lina teased as she sat. Over the summer, she finally figured out I had a crush on him. I made her swear not to think about it when she phased but now the secret is out regardless.

"Sarah invited him, after admitting she liked him. You really gotta get that your wolf-out down before you phase with your crush." Lina laughed at me. I had my arms crossed and I was very sure I was pouting.

"Yeah, at least Chris couldn't hear my thoughts." She said sadly. She always got a sad expression when she talked about Chris.

"No you just told him instead." I grumbled but I wasn't really upset. I was the opposite. I forgot how much I missed this, the three of us, talking, teasing.

"It was brave and romantic so watch it!" She said and threw a pillow at me which I easily caught.

"I really missed this." I was overcome with emotion as soon as I said the words.

"Hey." Liam said and he came over to where I was sitting and sat next to me. He put his arms around me and the tears that were threatening to come finally spilled.

"All summer… We always spend our summers together but, I felt like you guys forgot about me. Like you had a new family with your pack and I just didn't fit in it. I never fit in. You guys barely came to visit me." My voice was off. I was trying not to cry.

"We wanted to come visit more but it was hard to find time. We're both still getting used to this whole new pack thing and there were a lot of training sessions. You'll see when you start training." Liam told me.

"So you couldn't find time for me. You must be happy that I finally phased, now I am convenient for you and inconvenient for everyone else." For some reason that made Lina angry. She got up from her chair and started yelling at me.

"Screw everyone else! Yes. We could have made more time Sarah but that door swings both ways. Why didn't _you_ come visit _us_, that's right because as always you are sticking your head in the ground like a coward!" Liam and I sat there, shocked, but my anger made me recover quickly. How could _she_, of all people, say that to me?!

"I am not a coward! You saw what happened last time I visited. They picked on me. They are the reason I had to change schools. Why are you always taking their side? Why do you always prefer them over us?"

"Prefer? I don't prefer them! I was forced to like them. They were the only ones I had left! Did you think it was easy for me seeing you both forget about me just because I phased? I _had_ to made friends with those guys. They are my pack and you alienated me because of it and got yourself a new best friend."

"Don't bring Mac into this! I think you were glad to finally get rid of me. That way you didn't have to defend me and you could go back to your real friends."

"How can you say that to me?!" She used her shriek-like high pitch voice that meant she was getting upset. Good!

"Because we did try to include you but you're the one who insisted on bringing them to everything we invited you to do. We wanted to hand out with you not them. Its like you didn't even care about what they did to me."

"Of course I care! But you need to understand that those boys are idiots. The milk thing. They do that to each other all the time. Hell, they threw balloons full of orange juice at me after you guys left! That's what they do Sarah! It doesn't mean that they are excused for their behavior because they've said some pretty hurtful things to you and, _yes_, they did it because you are half vampire but even though they are bigots, they don't actually want anything to happen to you. You felt them. You felt how worried they were about you." She was right but it only made me more annoyed. Liam had been pretty quiet the whole time. I looked at him but he just shrugged.

"Look, I wanted you guys back in my life but I knew that we all had to figure out a way to get you all to get along or I would never get you two back! You two don't know how difficult it was to be without you. I was just trying to get all of you to like each other. The boys are jerks but at least they were making an effort. They were the ones who agreed to come hang out with us and you two flat out refused. I had to trick you two go!"

"Yea and look at how well that turned out." I hissed at her.

"Only because you let him get to you! They say stupid shit all the time. If you finally grew a pair and stood up for yourself maybe you wouldn't have been out in the rain like some little drama queen. You always make yourself the victim when you are more powerful than all of us put together!"

"You think I am a drama queen? Who the hell is yelling and probably waking up the whole house?!" I said in a low angry voice.

"Frankly I think you're both being drama queens." Liam finally spoke up.

"Shut up!" We both said simultaneously.

"No. I won't shut up. Look at you both. Do you hear yourselves? Oh, you excluded me, oh got new friends, oh you guys forgot about me. We are a family, damn it! We're the three freaking musketeers, remember that?! Three peas, one pod, that's us. Its always been the three of us, we can't turn on each other now."

"It hasn't been the three of us for a while, Liam. I think we need to face the fact that it won't always be the three of us. You two are still in middle school and I start high school. For all we know, you two will probably imprint on immortals and what about me? You'll both leave me in this reservation just like you did before." Lina said with a sad expression.

"Where did that come from?" I asked her, surprised by her train of thought. Liam sighed.

"Who do you think? Henry. We had a little discussion with that retard. Lina defended you and he berated her for taking your side when her destiny is here with them in the rez and ours is with the Cullens as immortals. He's such an idiot. I can't believe you actually listened that stupid shit."

"What makes you so sure you'll imprint on a mortal? We could all imprint on immortals or mortals." I reminded her.

"Sam was wrong about a lot of things but he was right about one. There will always be a divide between the immortal wolves and the mortal ones. Some of us will have to learn to be human again while the rest will go on with their immortal families. What if its me that imprints on a human? It makes sense. I'm the only one with human parents. What if I'm the one who has to learn to live without you? I am so sick of being the odd man out in our little trio." She slumped on the couch with a sad expression. I felt sorry for yelling at her.

"How are you the odd man out? I am the one whose mom is a vampire." I asked, trying to be sympathetic.

"Yes your mom is a vampire and his dad is a bird. You both have a little something extra in your dna. You're both special. My parents, on the other hand, are both humans who have a wolf gene, just like everybody else in the pack. I fit in with the pack but they are not the ones I want to fit in with. I don't give a damn about _them_. I care about _us_, and out of the three of _us_, I am the odd man out. I don't want you guys to imprint and leave me behind like Henry said."

"I really don't understand why you girls are so afraid of imprinting. Personally, I'm looking forward to it. Imprinting is supposed to be about finding your soul mate." Liam said.

"You only say that because you're 13 and you've never had a crush on anyone. Wait till you really like somebody and you realize you can't be with her because she's not your imprint."

"I'm not going to have a crush on anyone. I'm waiting for my imprint."

"What if your imprint isn't born for 50 years? What if we imprint and have families for the all that time and you don't?" I asked him.

"What if you imprint on a mortal and have to turn back human while we live forever with our families?" Lina added.

"I mean, I don't want any of that to happen. You guys are like my sisters but things change. I mean, look at me and Harry. I always thought the Clearwater boys would be a forever thing but Harry got married and moved on with his mate. Its something we had to deal with but we never stopped being brothers and if _we," _he pointed to all of us,_ "_get separated, we'll deal with it too. We can't keep stressing about something that we can't control. What if only one of us imprints on an immortal? What if one of us doesn't imprint? Are we supposed to wait forever, like Collin or do we give up and try love on our own like uncle Embry? There's a lot of what ifs when it comes to imprinting? If we worry about it now we'll go nuts." Liam said.

"It doesn't really matter because when we do imprint none of this will be important will it? It won't be about the three musketeers anymore." I told them. We were all quiet for a while.

"This is depressing!" Liam complained.

"I know." I agreed.

"Let's promise each other that no matter what, we will have each other's backs. We will make an effort to stay together or live close to each other regardless of who we imprint on. No more twosomes. I don't want to be like our parents with half the family on one state and the other half in another state. We are the three musketeers for as long as we live, human or not, no matter what." Lina looked at us with hope in her eyes. I liked her idea.

"I like that plan. Three peas, one pod. No matter what." I extended my hand. Lina immediately took it and Liam rolled his eyes but then he put his hand over ours.

"No matter what." He agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

**********A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far. Your reviews really keep me motivated to continue posting at a weekly basis, especially when I have bad weeks like last one. As always, your reviews have really made my week. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Please review! **

**********Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

Lina and Liam were right about training. Training was brutal. Uncle Kal was like a dictator and dad was no better. My wolf had a few episodes of dominance around my dad and uncle Kal before I was able to gain control over my wolf. I still felt disconnected from her. Like there was a part of me that was incomplete. I was the only one who felt disconnected from the wolf. Everyone else in the pack felt one with their wolf. It was very irritating. It was like we couldn't be one until we found this thing we both missed. The bright side was that at least we were getting along.

With the exception of Sammy and, surprisingly, Pete, it took the other pack members a long time to get used to me. It was strange because even though I felt their concern for me whenever I felt out of control, they hated being around me. Henry and Jaime refused to patrol with me for almost six months. By the time they ran with me without whining about it, Pete and Ryan were old enough for regular patrols so I had to start the process all over again with Ryan. Thanks to Pete not being a total idiot, it was a lot easier for Ryan to get used to me but I was still thankful that the next generation of wolves were too young to phase.

The dynamics of the pack changed quite a bit. Sammy was no longer alpha because I had joined the two packs into one. My dad was alpha male and I was alpha female. I was more powerful than my dad and I had to learn to control my power. Sammy never really wanted to be alpha so he didn't mind the shift. However, because his wolf was an alpha before, he was able to resist my wolf's power, at least at first. I became too powerful after a few months of training. I didn't even need to command them. While I was in wolf form, I could make wolves tremble by simply becoming angry at them. I could make them submit with one look and I could make them do my will with one thought. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

I felt really bad about it at first but as I learned to control my powers I began to understand them. I didn't like that they trembled when I was angry but it was a sign of respect. They recognized that I was their alpha and that realization was what helped me take control of my wolf. It also have me a great sense of responsibility for my pack. I don't know how it happened, but I went from being a wallflower to becoming involved in everyone's life. I stood up Jaime when he got in trouble with his parents. I helped tutor Pete when he was failing history. I even babysat for Sam and Emily when the boys had to patrol and Emily wanted a night out. It was strange how naturally taking care of them came to me. Everyone thought that I would hate them and that I would refuse to be around them but I couldn't. I mean, I despised most of the younger wolves but they were my wolves. It was such a strange feeling to feel protective over someone you sort of hated, but my wolf was very protective and possessive of what was hers.

Sharing a mind with aunt Leah and Lina made us all realize that it was a female wolf thing. Lina and aunt Leah were the same way. I finally understood why Lina was trying so hard to get us all to get along when she first phased. I was alpha female so that instinct was even more predominant in me. In the wild, you don't mess with a female wolf and her pups. In our pack it was the same. No matter how stupid those boys were, they were my boys.

In return, I had proven myself to my pack and they went from torturing me to standing up for me too. Well, they did it reluctantly but I still counted it as them standing up for me. I almost had a stroke when Henry told Jen to just shut the fuck up during one of the bonfires. He and I were certainly not friends but I was his alpha and even he had to respect that. Plus Jen was pissing all of us off that day so I was sure, that was a big part of the reason he said something.

At school, things changed too. Jen and the girls backed down once they realized that they could not get me to feel worthless anymore. I wasn't some parasite freak. My wolf was powerful and it was easy for me to feel powerful too. I was an alpha and I had an entire community to protect. I could actually sense them, I could sense everybody that carried the wolf gene. This really made me feel different as a person. I had such a great responsibility that it really forced me to become someone else. I was still me but at the same time I wasn't. I was stronger, braver, more powerful than the shy, insecure little girl who got picked on. I barely even recognized that girl, but she was still inside me somewhere.

By the time I made it to high school, I felt more confident and I finally felt ok with myself. I still didn't feel completely accepted in the pack but I had accepted them instead. Like when people overlook the flaws of the ones they loved. I overlooked my pack's flaws even when, at times, they didn't overlook mine. The important part was that I was finally satisfied with who I was. It took me a long time to get there and it was something that I wouldn't let anyone take away from me.

There was one thing that I was missing in my life that I really wanted. I wanted love. I was too big and intimidating for any boy in high school to ask me out. Regardless, the only boy I wanted was Sammy and Sammy was already out of the rez, and in college when I started high school. I never stopped having a crush on him but, thankfully, I did learn how to block those feelings from the pack so the only people who knew about my crush were Lina, Liam, _Sammy_ and Mackenzie, who I still missed every day. On the plus side, Sammy and I became good friends over the years. He was always very protective. He was almost annoying at times. He didn't like it when I went out for a run by myself. He forced the other boys to include me in any pack activity. But even with all of this, he still never asked me out. We never even talked about the night I confessed I liked him. Our relationship was completely fraternal, more like brother and sister than anything else. I hated it. I wished things were different but they weren't.

Overall, my life was pretty normal. I went to school, did homework, patrol, sleep and then all over again. It all began to unravel after I turned 16, literally. The day after my birthday I got a surprise visitor.

"Wakey, wakey sleepy head but don't scream!" I heard a familiar voice wake me from my sleep. A voice I heard only in my dreams. I opened my eyes and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Mac!" I immediately hugged her, completely ignoring the fact that she was cold, solid and a vampire. My wolf should be clawing at me but surprisingly she wasn't. It was like even my wolf could recognize that Mac was family.

"What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" She was sitting on my bed, her yellow playful eyes staring at me.

"I'm here for you birthday, silly. Its not every day my best friend turns 16." She told me smiling. I started crying.

"I can't believe you're here and you're vegan!" I told her. I thought I would never see her again yet here she was. She smiled at me with a sad expression.

"Yeah. Duilio showed me how to control my thirst. It was hard and I am not going to lie. I made quite a few mistakes but I like being a veggie vamp." She bit her lip as if she was unsure of my reaction. I took her hand.

"And are you ok? They haven't hurt you have they? I mean you're here…" She shook her head instantly.

"No they haven't hurt me. Duilio is very sweet. He was very supportive. It was so hard at first. I missed my family, _you_. I kept hoping you would come get me but I knew that was impossible. The Volturi aren't exactly pet friendly." She wrinkled her nose and I laughed a little.

"You can smell it huh?" I asked her feeling a little self-conscious.

"I was hoping it was just your pack but yea. You definitely have a wolfy smell but its not as bad as the others. I'm surprised."

"I missed you so much." I hugged her again. I still had a few tears roll down my eyes because I was so happy.

"I missed you too. But you have to stop crying. This was supposed to be a happy surprise."

"It is!" I told her as I wiped my face.

"You look so different. You're like a warrior princess or something." Now I felt even more self conscious. The little insecure girl always popped her head when someone mentioned my body. My body had changed a lot. I was more muscle than fat now but I was still large and bulky.

"Yeah. I'm pretty big now." I said sheepishly.

"And gorgeous. You must have all the boys at school drooling over you." The one good thing was that my body was proportional to my size so my chest was huge too. Boys noticed it but I was too big and intimidating for any of them to ask me out. At least that's what I hoped was happening.

"There's one that I kinda like but he doesn't like me. Besides I didn't imprint on him so it would be stupid to try anything." I told her nonchalantly even though it hurt to think about.

"Just because you haven't imprinted doesn't mean you have to be a nun." She told me and wiggled her brows. I was a little surprised she knew what I was talking about when I told her I hadn't imprinted.

"You know about imprinting?"

"Of course. I got the 411 on all things wolf. Its part of our Volturi training." I didn't like the sound of that and neither did my wolf. I was suddenly very aware of her.

"Oh. So what is it like over there? Why did they let you go now, after all these years?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I'm not a prisoner. Duilio is... well he's like having another big brother. He loves me and he takes care of me. Even with the little things. He taught me to hunt. Held me when I was sad about you and my brothers. When he saw how heartbroken I was about my brothers, he sent over Chelsea to help my brothers heal by breaking their bonds to me and strengthening the bonds they had to each other. He cares about me. He's like a dad actually. There is nothing he wouldn't do for me except let me visit you. I kinda had to sneak out. I just came for your birthday but I have to go back."

"What? No!" She couldn't leave! I just got her back! She saw the distress on my face and quickly tried to soothe me.

"Please don't be upset. I have to because I also have a mate. His name is Alec. He's…"

"You're dating one of the witch twins!" I shrieked. She looked back to the door worried and then turned back to me.

"He's not a witch. He's really sweet. You'd like him."

"Yeah, I'd like to tear him to pieces."

"Sarah come on... Don't get all mad at me. I'm here to celebrate your sweet 16. I even brought you a present. Technically, I was just supposed to mail it but…" She shrugged and picked up a small gift bag from the floor. "With Duilio, its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Here." She placed it on my lap and I looked inside. There was a small ornate box in the bag.

"What is it?"

"Open it silly!" I opened it and saw the charm bracelet I gave her. It had two new charms on it.

"I thought it was about time I returned that. I know it was a gift from your grandma. I added the half a heart. It says best on it and here see?" She pulled out a necklace that had the other half of the heart with the word friend inscribed on it.

"I had yours embedded in diamonds which is my birthstone and I had mine embedded in rubies cause its your birthstone." I looked at it and smiled.

"Its beautiful. What about the key?" I asked. There was a beautiful expensive looking key charm also hanging on the bracelet. It was so detailed and intricate that it almost looked like a real key even though it was miniature.

"That one is from Duilio. Its pretty isn't it?"

"Its beautiful. Its very intricate. Are those rubies?" I asked as I examined the beautiful gemstones on the key.

"Yes. The jewelry box is from him too. Its an antique. All of those are real." She said pointing to all the precious gems on the box.

"Nice. So is this the key to Volterra?"

"Hey that's what I said!" We both giggled. We heard my dad coming up the stairs. I tuned to tell her to go out the window but she was already gone. He knocked on my door.

"Sweetheart. Are you talking to someone?"

"I was on the phone. Go back to bed." He came in anyway. His eye widened and his nostrils flared.

"I smell a vampire." He growled.

"I don't smell anything. This house has been full of Cullens for the past few days."

"I know what my family smells like, Sarah Bell! Did you see anyone? What is that?" He came closer to me and took my hand. The one with the bracelet.

"I thought you lost this the night Mac was attacked"

"I, I found it." He narrowed his eyes at me and I tried not to look as guilty as I felt. I hated lying to him.

"Why are there new charms on it?"

"I got them a while ago." I sighed. Even I could hear the lie in my voice.

"You're lying to me, Sarah. Your grandfather said you gave this to Mac. Why are you lying to me? Was she here Sarah?"

"No Dad! Gosh, you're paranoid!" How the hell did he know?!

"Paranoid, my ass! I know she was your friend Sarah but she's not anymore. She's one of them and they are our enemies. They wouldn't blink twice about killing you and they trained her to do just that. If you see that girl you need to stay away." He warned me. We glared at each other for a moment but I saw the fear and concern in his eyes so I relented.

"Fine! Geez!" He looked at me with a look full of concern. I felt sorry for him. He walked out the door and closed it behind him. As soon as I heard him go down the stairs, Mac reappeared. She literally materialized out of thin air!

"What the?!"

"Its my gift. I can disappear and reappear. I never really left the room. You just can't see me or smell me when I am invisible."

"That's awesome!" I told her, slightly jealous. I wouldn't mind a power like that.

"Yea. I'm a shield. I'm on Duilio's personal guard but trust me, he doesn't need protecting."

"I can't believe you stayed there all this time when you could have been here." I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head.

"It was too dangerous to come back at first. I wasn't all that controlled. Duilio said that I could hurt you by accident and I was scared that he was right. Though I don't know why Duilio was worried. Your smelly butt wouldn't have been appetizing even when I was a newborn. But anyway, I've been incident free for a little over a year. That's why I decided to come even though Duilio said I wasn't allowed. He's going to be super pissed." She said guiltily. I could tell that she cared about him.

"Are you saying Duilio was trying to protect me?"

"Yes and me too. He said that there is nothing worse than living for eternity knowing that you killed someone you love. He didn't want me to know what that was like. That's why he kept me away from you and my brothers." Damn it! It was gonna be really hard to hate the guy knowing he cared so much for my best friend.

"How long can you stay?" I asked her hopeful. She looked back at the door again.

"By your dad's reaction I think I should probably leave tonight."

"No. He's just being overprotective as usual."

"He's not wrong Sarah. Any other Volturi would kill you on sight. We were lucky that Duilio was there that night and that he respects your family. We would both be dead if he wasn't there. This thing between the Olympians and the Volturi is pretty serious."

"I don't care. You're _my_ bff. That's never going to change." I told her. She smiled as if she liked my answer.

"Maybe we can meet up outside of town. Can you run to Port Angeles? We can meet up and shop, I can take you to dinner, we'll have a girls night." She suggested but I shook my head.

"Too many people know me there. How about Seattle, tomorrow night? Around seven?"

"Ok. Just head that direction and I'll meet you there. I'll find you, don't worry." She told me.

"Ok!" We hugged and she disappeared again before going out the window. I don't know why but I couldn't wait until tomorrow. A small part of my brain warned me that it might be a trap but in my heart I knew that it wasn't. Even my wolf seemed ok with it so I decided to follow my heart.

The next day I had to come up with a plan to trick my parents. It was surprisingly easy, which made me feel even guiltier. They trusted me. After dinner, I walked over to the house library where they were playing chess.

"Hi mom, hi dad. I'm going to Josie's house to hang out. Is it ok? I may come home late, or maybe even sleep over." I had practiced my line several times in front of the mirror to make myself sound convincing. Plus, they knew Josie. She was new at school and my only friend outside the pack and they really liked her.

"Sure honey. Have fun." Mom told me with a smile. Dad was concentrating on his next play. He didn't even look up.

"Yeah. Have fun, baby." I smiled at his frustrated face. I hated lying to them but I knew they would never let me go otherwise.

I changed my clothes put them in my bag and then I started running. I made sure to block my thoughts from the others. It was very easy to control my mind when I was emotionally in control. I ran east through the forest and by the time I got to the out of the Cullen hunting territory I could smell her scent. Within seconds she was running next to me.

"Follow me." She said and I did. We stopped by a small side street.

"Go change back. The limo is on its way." She told me with an excited look on her face.

_"Limo?"_ I asked her. She looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Whoa. I can hear you!"

_"Yeah. That's my gift."_ I told her and I ran behind a tree to change. I came back and she was next to a long stretcher.

"Nice!" I told her.

"I figured we should ride in style." She told me and opened the door for me. I giggled and got into the limo.

"First we are going shopping. Then we get out hair and makeup done. Then we go out dancing!" Mac said and handed me a soda from the little bar in the limo.

"Dancing? You think they'll let you in anywhere?" I asked her. I looked like I was in my twenties but she definitely looked 13. They wouldn't let her in, even if she did have a fake id. Mac grinned and then she pulled out a wad of cash.

"Oh they'll let us in." I laughed.

We went to the mall and got dresses, shoes, accessories. I had so much fun with her. I told her about school, the pack, I even updated her on my crush on Sammy. Mac got us a hotel to spend the night. We got our hair and makeup done at the hotel with the spa staff and then we were on our way. Mac didn't look nearly as old as she needed to be to get in but she let the money do the talking. We got a VIP booth and we started dancing on the table in our booth. Mac got me fruity drinks but the alcohol didn't really affect me. We danced in VIP for a while and then we decided to join everyone else down at the main floor. That was our big mistake. I caught a small draft of air from the door opening and that is when I smelled him.

"Shit Mac! We gotta go." I grabbed her hand.

"What? Why? Oh!" She said as soon as she looked towards the door. There he was, Sammy Uley looking murderous. I grabbed Mac's hand tighter and we rushed out the back exit.

"I'm sorry Sarah. Do you think he saw us?" Mac asked me.

"Oh I definitely saw you leech!" We heard Sammy's voice behind us and stopped. We both turned to him and she held her hand out trying to calm him.

"Get the hell away from her leech!" Sammy spat out in a growl. I was holding on to Mac's hand so I moved her slightly behind me. Sammy's expression instantly made me feel protective over her and my wolf agreed.

"Stop it! This is my friend Mac." I tried to explain.

"I know who she is. Where are the rest of them Mac?"

"The rest of what Sammy?" Mac asked him annoyed.

"Of the leeches! I know you're not here alone!" He screamed at her. I had never seen him to furious in my life. He was kinda terrifying.

"There's no one else here. She's just here for my birthday which you are totally ruining!" I told him.

"That's not entirely correct." We heard a voice from above us and in a second, Alec jumped off the rooftop and stood next to Mac. I stepped away from them a bit because I was both shocked and afraid. Mac's eyes widened for a moment and then her expression became furious.

"Alec! What are you doing here? I told you this was a girls only trip!" She told him with a growl.

"Did you really expect me to let you go into enemy territory on your own?" Alec growled back.

"She's not my enemy, she's my best friend. I told you _and_ Duilio already. You can leave me out of your stupid power war!" Mac hissed at her mate. They glared at each other as if they had forgotten that Sammy and I were there.

"It's time for you to go leeches." Sammy told them as he walked closer to me. Alec looked over at Sammy and hissed. I stood closer to Sammy. My instinct to protect my pack mate was taking over. My wolf was clawing to get out. She felt threatened as soon as Alec showed up.

"Come Mac." Alec said without moving his death glare from Sammy.

"No! I came here to spend time with my best friend and that's exactly what I am going to do, so you two can chill or I am making Sarah and me disappear so that you can't find us." Mac threatened. Sammy growled.

"This is not up for discussion leech. If you take her, I will take that as an act of aggression from the Volturi." He said and grabbed me to place me behind him.

"Sammy stop it! You don't speak for me. I want to hang out with my friend." I told him. I stated to walk away from him but he grabbed my arm.

"She's Volturi Sarah. Get away from her!"

"No!" I said angrily. I glared at him and I started to shake. He instantly let go of me, his wolf recognizing my authority.

"You really should listen to your friend, little girl." Another voice appeared above us and Jane also dropped from the sky to join us.

"_Ugh_! _Aaleec_! You brought _her_?!" Mac complained, completely annoyed and disgusted.

"My brother goes nowhere without me you stupid bitch."

"Jane! That's enough!" Alec reprimanded. I was slightly more nervous now. Mac looked at me with an apologetic look.

"I sorry Sarah. Maybe next year we can meet in Hawaii or somewhere _they_ can't find us." She said in an angry voice. I smiled at her. I wanted to go over to her and give her a hug but didn't dare with Jane there.

"Its ok. This was so much fun. I missed this." I told her. She walked towards me but stopped when Sammy got closer to me. She glared at him for a second and then she looked at me.

"We'll try to do this again. I promise this won't be the last time I see you." She winked at me and walked to Alec and Jane. She turned slightly and looked at me again. "Maybe next year?" She shrugged.

"I'd like that." I said sadly. She smiled at me sadly and then the three of them ran off at vampire speed. My heart broke a bit as I watched her leave and then... the anger set in.

* * *

**********I posted some new posters. I have been looking for somebody to represent Sarah for a long time to no avail. So I had to settle a little bit on her character. **


	11. Chapter 11

**************Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

As soon as they left and I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I immediately turned and pushed him away. I was furious with him.

"How could you?!" I shoved him again on the chest, but not hard. He was Sammy after all. "Why the hell couldn't you just leave me alone?!" I yelled at him with tears in my eyes.

"I was out, having a good time with my friends when I smelled a leech I didn't recognize mixed with _your _scent. I almost phased in public! What the hell were you doing here with _her_, by yourself?! Are you out of your fucking mind?! They could have hurt you!" His voice was so angry that it made my wolf angry too.

"She is my best friend. She would never hurt me just like I would never hurt her." I told him. I was trying to keep calm because I was afraid of loosing control to my wolf and hurting Sammy.

"No but what about the other two. You didn't even know they were there! Sometimes you can be such a child!" I had never heard him use this tone on me. It made the wolf furious but it made the girl hurt.

"And you can be such a jerk!" I stormed off and ran off to a small park area so I could change.

I was shaking by the time I got to the park so I decided to sit on a bench instead because I was too upset to phase. I was afraid I would lose control and attack someone. After a few minutes, Sammy followed me and sat next to me. We just sat there fore a while without speaking. This was our first fight and, as upset as I was, I felt terrible about it.

"How could you do this to me Sammy? You know how much I miss her." I finally asked him. I finally felt a little bit calmer. He sighed as if he was getting ready for a long lecture.

"Sarah. You have no idea what it felt like to see us surrounded by leeches just now. I have never been so afraid in my life. We were outnumbered and by the witch twins, no less. If anything happened to you... God, I don't even want to think about it! Don't you know how important you are to all of us?" He was turned slightly towards me. I was looking at the ground but I finally turned to him. I saw the concern and fear in his eyes and my remaining anger melted away.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Its just that she was finally back. And she was a veggie vamp. Didn't you see her eyes?"

"That doesn't matter, Sarah. She's still Volturi and you're still a wolf."

"I hate this! This whole situation is so stupid. She's my best friend. We were best friends before she was Volturi and before I was a wolf. I should be able to see her if I want to." I felt more tears slip down my cheeks.

"I know." He put his arm around my shoulder and I leaned into him. We sat like that for a while. I head was right under his chin and I could take in his scent with every breath. It felt amazing, even though I knew that he was just trying to comfort me as my friend.

"You were really scared, weren't you?" I asked without looking at him. He held me against him a little tighter.

"You have no idea. But I wasn't really scared for me. I was scared for you."

"Why? Before you came we were just being girls, having fun. You know. Normal. I had it handled. You don't have to be so protective all the time."

"You're my alpha _and_ my friend. I can't help but feel protective over you." I sighed and got up, crossing my arms before I looked at him. He laid back on the bench staring at me. Waiting.

"I can protect myself. I'm alpha female, it's my job to protect you, not the other way around." He smiled as if my statement amused him, as if I was an incredulous child.

"I wasn't alpha for a long time but, in that time I had as an alpha I learned that being a leader is about working together with your pack. As an alpha, you feel protective over us but we are your pack. We are not just here to follow you. We are here to stand with you, to protect you too. We all protect each other because we're all each other has. Like police officers or soldiers at war. Nobody will ever understand what this life is like except for your pack."

"Is that why you protect me? Out of duty?"

"Of course not. You're not a chore, Sarah. You're my friend. All I'm saying is that its my instinct to protect you just like its yours to protect me. Any of the other guys would have tried to protect you too. Even Henry. Its instinctual to have each other's back regardless of whether or not you're alpha. Don't you feel it from them? That instinct? You know that they would die for you right?" I nodded.

"I know. I guess my instincts are still a little weird. My wolf was almost clawing at me to protect you when Alec and Jane showed up. But my wolf wasn't threatened by Mac. She wanted to protect her as much as I did. She pretty much saw you as the threat before _they_ showed up. "

"Mac was a good friend to you. The wolf recognizes that. I wasn't exactly good to you in the past. I know I've apologized before but I'm truly sorry for the part I played. I'm part of the reason why you were bullied. You were always such a good girl. You are sweet and sensitive and I should have stopped those boys long before I actually did. I think your wolf hasn't forgiven me. I think some part of you hasn't forgiven me for the way I acted either. Not that I blame you."

"I forgave you." He raised his eyebrow as if he didn't really believe me. "I did!" I insisted.

"Why would you forgive me so easily after everything I did?" I shrugged and then, without any thought I blurted out something that should have stayed deep inside me.

"Because I like you." I said absentmindedly before I realized what I had done. I don't know if it was the alcohol, the way I felt when he held me, or the shot of confidence that I got from all the men who were hitting on me at the bar but the words came out without any conscious thought. I felt my cheeks burn and I closed my eyes unable to look at his reaction. When I opened them he wasn't looking at me. I looked down at the ground sadly. He took a deep breath but he didn't look at me.

"Sarah, you know I can't. It can't be like that for us."

"Why not? I mean, I know I'm not a supermodel or anything but I've changed. I'm older and I'm different. I'm not a kid anymore." I said, not knowing how else to describe myself. I couldn't say that I was pretty because I wasn't, but I definitely didn't look like I did before. He finally looked up at me.

"You've grown up to be a very beautiful young woman but you're not my imprint and I'm not yours." He told me seriously. I gathered up my courage because I was already on a roll, and I needed to get this humiliating conversation off my chest.

"So what? I like you and _you_ think I'm pretty. We don't have to fall in love or anything. We can just, _be.._." I blushed again as I said this and my voice started to waiver along with my confidence. I was standing in front of him. He just sat there, staring at me.

"And what would that entail? You're only 16, Sarah Bell." I wasn't sure what his tone implied but it sounded like teasing me.

"We've already seen each other naked." I blurted out and felt my cheeks heat up. He looked a little shocked for a moment and then he laughed. He laughed! I felt my heart sink and I looked away.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm not laughing at you, I promise. It's just that, you know how protective I am of you. I would never let anyone hurt you and that includes me. Especially me. Not after everything I allowed them to do to you before."

_'Especially me…'_ I repeated in my head and I stared at him shocked for a moment because his words and his tone made me think about something that I never considered before. It was so obvious that it made my cheeks burn again with shame. All these years, was he was overprotective of me because he was _guilty_? Because he felt guilty about what he did? Was he just overcompensating? I liked him so much that never considered this possibility because I wanted to believe that some part of him was finally starting to like me too. I was so stupid! My humiliation was finally complete. I felt my eyes sting with tears again. He must have seen it. His eyes widened and he instantly got up and took me in his arms.

"Sarah please... Please, don't cry. I can't feel that way about you, I wish I could but I can't." He pleaded.

There must be something wrong with me because even though I knew his words were said out of guilt, somehow his words still made me feel better. It made me so angry at myself that, as he held me, I got this strange feeling deep in my chest. It felt like the greatest place in the world to be in his arms. It made me feel pathetic and it made me angry at myself.

He let go of me slightly and looked at me with a sympathetic smile that only made matters worse. I didn't want sympathy. I wanted him to kiss me. I had always wanted him and in that moment, more than anything, I wanted him to want me too, to kiss me like I had always dreamt about. I bit my lip and looked down to his chest because my desire to kiss him was too strong and I didn't trust myself. I didn't dare to look at him but suddenly he stiffened. I finally looked and saw his expression had gone from sympathetic to tense and shocked.

"Are you ok?" I asked him.

He pulled me towards him and kissed me suddenly. His lips were tense but soft. I didn't know what I was doing. I never kissed anyone before but something felt off. His body was rigid and his hand were holding me a little too hard. It was so strange because even though his body was tense he was still kissing me, his lips tense but still molding into mine. I didn't understand what was happening and I was so confused that I couldn't even enjoy the kiss. My confusion swallowed any other emotion I was feeling to the point that I was almost lightheaded. Then, he let go suddenly and abruptly.

"What the hell do you think you doing?" He went behind the bench as if he were trying to create a barrier between us. He leaned against the back of the bench, grasping it hard.

"What _I'm_ doing?"

"Its bad enough that when we imprint our choices will be taken away but for you to force me to kiss you like that... Its not right!" He said angrily and turned away.

I felt my mouth drop in utter shock as I realized what was happened. I was an alpha and I had the power to command any wolf to do what I wanted. I could do so by simply willing it. Of course, I was never able to do it without accessing my wolf. My powers were always out of control when I emotional and I have been out of sorts all night. I willed him to kiss me. I dropped my head, my heart crushed. This is not how I wanted this kiss to happen.

"I'm sorry Sammy. I didn't realize what was happening." I told him. I had tears rolling down my eyes again. He turned back and looked at me as if he were trying to see if I was telling the truth. "I didn't mean to do that. I would never do something like that to you." I continued and he sighed as if he was relieved.

"What am I going to do with you Sarah?" He walked over to me and took my face in his hands. He wiped my tears away with his thumbs.

"I've know how you felt about me for a long time. You've grown up to be such an amazing girl. I can't ever _just be_ with you, Sarah. You are far too special to me and it would hurt too much to let you go when you finally imprint. Do you understand?" I nodded my head but I hated his answer. I especially hated the fact that I didn't know if he was just saying that to make me feel better or if he meant it.

I thought he was going to let me go but then his face inched closer to mine. His lips grazed mine and then he took my upper lip between his. He kissed me. It was nothing like the forced kiss we shared before. It was like our lips were gently caressing one another. It was a sweet and gentle kiss that ended too soon. It left me wanting when it was done but at the same time it felt wrong. Our kiss felt more like and ending than a beginning. I was so confused.

"I don't understand." I confessed. He smirked at me.

"I know. I'm sorry..." He let me go but only to take my hand. "This doesn't change anything. I just... I couldn't let the first kiss we ever shared be the one you forced me to give you." I nodded but I was still confused. He squeezed my hand to get my attention.

"Come on. I'll drive you home. I was going to drive home tomorrow anyway."

I was relieved we were driving because I didn't feel like running at the moment. He walked me over to his car, still holding my hand and he opened the door for me. We drove home mostly in silence. He did try to do some small talk but gave up when he realized I wasn't in the mood for talking. I was too confused to talk. When we got home he parked the car in front of the house.

"Are you going to tell your parents?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"Not tonight." I turned to open the door but then I stopped and looked over to him.

"Thank you for protecting me." I told him.

"Always." He told me and then he extended his arm to bring me over for a hug. I gave him a hug and he held me for a few moments. His arms felt tight around me, as if they were encompassing my entire soul. Even though he only held me for a short time, his gesture made my chest sore with longing. He let me go so that I could go inside and I walked over to the house quickly. That night I dreamt about kissing Sam, a bitter sweet dream that I knew I would be carrying in my heart for a very long time.

* * *

The following morning, I told my parents the truth during breakfast. As I confessed the events of the previous night, I saw my parents become more and more angry. I wished Liam was there as a buffer. Aunt Leah, uncle Kal and Liam were at grandma Sue's but at least I had Will and Collin for support.

My parents were not happy with me. Dad glared at me furiously for a moment and then he slammed his hand on the table.

"William go upstairs."Mom told him. Collin swallowed his last few bites and left with Will. Will gave me a forgiving look before he left which I truly appreciated.

"How can you be so irresponsible?! Do you know what could have happened to you?!" Dad started.

"She would never hurt me." I said quietly.

"She didn't even know they were following her. They could have just used her to get you and she would not have known." He retorted. He was right. After all the excitement from last night passed I realized how lucky I really was. Mac would never have hurt me but that didn't mean the witch twins wouldn't either.

"I'm sorry. I know you're angry and I am sorry about that. I'm sorry I lied to you and that I put myself in danger but I don't regret spending time with my friend." I said almost in a whisper because I didn't want to make him angrier. I kept staring at my plate trying to avoid eye contact with my dad, but I could see him trembling from the corner of my eye. Mom took dad's hand trying to calm him.

"You should have told us. You shouldn't have gone alone." Mom told me.

"Would you really have let me go?" I asked _her_ because I didn't dare to address my dad at the moment.

"Not alone, but maybe we could have figured something out." Mom said. She had such a disappointed look in her eyes that it almost brought tears to my eyes.

"I hope you know you are grounded." Dad said angrily.

"For how long?" I asked. They both looked at each other as if she was telling him something telepathically and then dad looked at me.

"Your mother and I will discuss it. For now, go to your room." He told me.0

I went to my room, feeling guiltier than I ever felt before. As I entered my room, I heard them talking in the kitchen so I kept the door open and sat against the door frame to listen. Will must have heard me because he peaked his head out of his room and caught me eavesdropping. We eavesdropped on them all the time so he knew the routine. He walked over to me and sat next to me resting his head on my arm. He was three now so he looked like he was 7 or 8 years old. We sat together quietly and listened to our parents speak.

"When is this going to stop? I thought we finally had our daughter back. She's happy again. She's been stronger, more confident, and she's been going out more. I don't understand what hold this girl has on her." I heard my mom say. I could tell by her voice that she was upset. Dad must be really angry because he didn't say anything for a moment.

"Baby, our daughter was 12 when she was attacked. It changed her and I don't think she ever really got over it. So many things happened to her around that time and she was just too young to properly deal." He told her. His voice was calmer. More worried than angry.

"She saw Lina almost die and then a year later she lost her best friend. I guess it makes sense that she still has some unresolved issues." Mom said.

"Edward said she used to blame herself for what happened to both girls. She felt like their downfall."

"Wait a minute. You talked to my dad about this and you didn't talk to me? I'm her mother Jacob!" My mom said almost angrily but her voice sounded more hurt than angry.

"I know I should have told you but I didn't want to worry you. I talked to your dad because he's a mind reader. He suggested therapy but really, how open can she get with all this supernatural stuff?" That was a moot point. I wouldn't have gone to therapy anyway.

"So why does she blame herself for Lina? She saved her and she put herself at risk to try to save Mac. She wasn't their downfall."

"She thought that nothing would have happened to Mac if she had never befriended her. With Lina, it was more like she was loosing her. She thought it was her fault that she lost her because Lina became closer to the boys and you know how those boys were with her at first." He explained. I really hated when they tried to psychoanalyze me. It made me so angry that I started to shake. Will took my hand and squeezed it. I took a deep calming breath and continued to listen.

"She lost both her best friends." Mom said. I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Its more than that. After Mac died she felt an emptiness that still hasn't gone away. Its strange because the only time I ever felt an emptiness that strong it was when we had our first fight and you were kidnapped. Being away from you left an emptiness that is pretty close to what our daughter is feeling. She obviously cared about Mac a lot." Dad said and I felt my heart speed up. I never realized he knew about the emptiness. Will looked at me worried. I smiled at him but he knew better.

"She still feels empty? But she's been so happy?" I heard the concern in my mom's voice and I felt worse.

"I think she's felt it for so long now that she's gotten used to it, hun. I don't think it ever left." My dad was right. The tears finally spilled from my eyes. I rarely noticed anymore but the emptiness never went away. Something was missing inside me, like I was broken. The wolf felt it too. Will put his arms around me to comfort me. I kissed the top of his head.

"I can't believe you kept this from me. I am so angry with you!" Mom told him, but again her voice sounded more sad and hurt than angry.

"I'm sorry baby, but I just didn't think we should both feel as powerless and useless as I do. What can we do other than what we've already been doing? All we can do is love her and hope that someday she can be truly happy again."

"I'm her mother, Jacob. You do not keep secrets about our children, no matter what."

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry." There was another silence. I assumed they were reconciling so I got up. Will got up too. He gave me another hug before he went back to his room. I hated that my parents knew so much about how I felt. It made me feel exposed.

I heard my parents come up the stairs so I went into my room and into bed. They came in. Mom sat on my bed next to me and dad leaned against my dresser. Sometimes it bothered me that I looked older than my mom and that my dad looked more like my big brother than my dad. This was one of those moments. Their concern and disappointed faces were even harder to see in their youthful vulnerable eyes. The expressions they held seems almost out of place on faces that should be young-looking and full of life.

"We are very disappointed in you Sarah. You did something that could have taken you from us forever." Mom started. I nodded.

"I know that, now. I'm sorry. I really am." I told them honestly. Dad was leaning against my dresser with his arms crossed. He looked at me for a moment, studying my face. It was strange to see his sternness and rigidness in his features when his eyes held such a different emotion. They were worried.

"You can never do this again. You can never put your life at risk like that, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." I saw him visibly relax a little. His expression softened.

"Your dad and I talked and we are grounding you for a week. Not for hanging out with your friend but for lying and sneaking off and putting yourself in danger. As for Mac, if she wants to see you she needs to see you here, with us around. Ok?" I was surprised that I only got a week. I nodded.

"I don't know how to reach her. I may never see her again." I confessed.

"You let us take care of that." Dad said. He came over to me and kissed my head. "And you let us take care of _you_. That's kinda our jobs ok? You need to start trusting that we know what is right for you. No more lying." He told me. I nodded. He left my room but mom stayed.

"Are you ok? I know seeing Mac again must not have been easy."

"Actually it was very easy. Saying goodbye, now that was a bitch." Mom smiled.

"How is she?" Mom asked me.

"She's good. They're nice to her. Duilio taught her to hunt animals. She's been incident free for over a year, that's why she decided to come even though Duilio said she wasn't allowed." Mom looked at me skeptically.

"Mom. Her eyes were bright gold so I believe her. She's dating that jerk Alec, though. That's why he came. They're mates so he was being protective and Jane apparently can't let her brother go anywhere without her. It was all a misunderstanding. But trust me I know how dangerous that misunderstanding was." I told her.

"Well I am glad that she is ok. I knew Duilio wouldn't hurt her but we've always been a little worried about her."

"Thanks mom." She smiled at me and kissed my cheek. She got up to leave but I stopped her.

"Mom? Can I tell you something else?"

"Of course."

"After Sammy found us, I was really upset and my emotions were out of control. I accidentally made him kiss me. He got really angry but then when we were both back in control, he kissed me again. It wasn't a passionate kiss or anything. It was sweet. He said it was because he didn't want out first kiss to be the one I forced him to give me." She smirked at me.

"Was that your first kiss?" She asked.

"Yes." I admitted with embarrassment. "It felt a little wrong though. I don't know if it was because it was so out of place. I don't get why he kissed me. Does this mean he likes me too?" I asked hopefully. Mom smiled at me sadly.

"I think that its more like he was acknowledging you as someone special to him. Sammy cares about you and he was probably terrified that you would both die. I think it was more of 'I'm happy we survived' kiss or a 'goodbye' kiss. That's probably why it felt a little wrong."

"Oh." I said sadly.

"I'm sorry sweetie. I know you've liked him for a long time and I know Sammy wasn't trying to get your hopes up. You both know what its like. You've both seen how hard it can be when one person imprints and the other one is left behind. Look at Sam and Leah, then Leah and Embry. There was a lot of hurt there. I don't think he's ever going to risk of hurting you."

"I know." I said even more depressed. Mom gave me a hug.

"You are going to have someone very special in your life. Someone that is worth the heartache of waiting. For now, just be a kid. Date, go out. When you imprint, your entire world is going to change for the better. Every kiss you share with your imprint will be like magic and loving him will be as easy as breathing. For now, just have fun because whatever you feel for another boy will only be a shadow of what you'll feel when you imprint." I nodded, though her words really didn't offer me much comfort. Mom gave me a reassuring look before she left. I thought about what she said but I also though about the way Sammy kissed me and the way he held me to tightly against him. Maybe I was just imagining things, maybe it was just his guild, but I hoped that maybe he was starting to like me too. I knew that he wasn't my soul mate but I couldn't wait forever for something that could never happen. I was part vampire and there was no guarantee that I would imprint. The more I thought about my nameless, faceless imprint the more empty and lonely I felt. When Sammy hugged me I didn't feel lonely. It felt nice. So I decided that I would continue to like Sammy, regardless of all the obstacles and the fact that he may possibly never like me back. As long as we were still friends and long as we had no imprints, there was still hope.


	12. Chapter 12

******************Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

I spent my week of isolation with Will and Liam. They would sneak into my room and we would play board games and video games. I was pretty sure mom knew but she never told dad. Mom also let my go out for dinner with my grandparents when they came over for their weekly visits. I was very grateful for that until I got another lecture from grandpa Edward. Dad took over my patrol shifts since I was grounded so at least there was a plus side to my punishment.

Dad was angry that we let a leech through our territory. I tried to explain about Mac's gift but he was still pretty mad at the pack. Outside of my family, Mac was the first vampire in years to come into our territory. Patrolling was more of the responsibility of the younger wolves and we definitely slacked and goofed off during our rounds. Dad and uncle Kal decided to tighten things up a bit and the pack was pissed. We were all paired with an older wolf in groups of 3 so things weren't as fun anymore.

On top of that, Lina and Liam were mad at me because I didn't tell them about Mac. Liam was especially mad because he missed Mac, a lot. I selfishly had forgotten that Liam was also good friends with Mac and he was hurt that we excluded him. Lina was hurt too because, even though she was also friends with Mac, she always felt that Mac was her replacement. We were supposed to be the three musketeers and they couldn't understand why I would want to keep Mac to myself. I felt terrible but I made things up to them by sharing Mac with them.

My parents worked some kind of magic out with Duilio so that Mac and I were allowed to email each other. Liam and Lina also emailed Mac and we all got to chat with one another over the internet. Mac told us that Duilio was so mad at her that, for the first time since she met him, she was afraid of him. I got very worried but she assured me he would never hurt her. She said that he loved her and I started to hate him a little less.

Around November, I invited Mac over for Christmas, because our emails actually made me miss her more. Lina, Liam and I wanted Mac to visit more often but Duilio refused. He was still pissed off at her because she disobeyed him but I worried that he was also afraid that we might hurt her since Sammy made it very clear that she wasn't welcome. I decided that I needed to fix this so I sent Duilio a letter myself, not an email but a letter because it felt more personal somehow. Mom was against it because she despised Duilio but I went against her wishes and write the letter anyway.

_Dear Mr. Duilio,_

_Thank you for taking such good care of Mac all these years. I never really thanked you for saving my life that day so thank you for that too. I am very grateful that you are letting her and I email each other especially because you are mad at us. I'm sorry you hate us so much. I know that you are worried about Mac and angry that she disobeyed you but Mac and I share a bond that goes beyond whatever happened between the Olympians and the Volturi. We're just two best friends trying to reconnect. My cousins and I will not let anyone hurt her while she is here. Please, let her come for Christmas. We all miss her so much and I hurt every day that she is away. _

_Sincerely,_

_Sarah_

Mac said that Duilio didn't talk to her for three days after he got my letter. I was so worried that I only made things worst but then he told Mac that he would think about it. He thought about it for a while and Mac had to cry for weeks but he finally made the decision that Mac was allowed to visit on my birthday and Christmas if she didn't have other responsibilities. I was ecstatic. Mac spent a week with us for Christmas. Liam and Lina were just as happy as I was. The four of us spent the entire week together. I wanted her to stay longer but at the end of the week she left again.

The entire family got as huge surprise for my 17th birthday because both Alec and Mac came to visit me. Alec had bright golden eyes which just about shocked everyone in the house. I decided Alec wasn't as horrible as I thought he was either. I still didn't like him but he was tolerable and I was happy for them.

Mom became concerned about a century old vampire bedding a teenager and had a chat with Mac. Mac assured her that it wasn't like that. Mac told us that Duilio threatened to castrate Alec and keep his balls in a box until she turned 18, if he tried to have sex with her. I laughed so hard I almost cried. She really loved Duilio and over time I came to hate him less and less. The way Mac described him was more in line with my idea of the man that saved me. He wasn't the evil scary man that I thought he was. I liked hearing about him because I appreciated how he took care of my best friend. Seeing how much Mac loved him made me feel connected to him. Almost as if he was my friend too.

* * *

There were a lot of changes happening the summer I graduated. One, I was turning 18; two, I decided to leave my role as alpha so that I could concentrate on college; three, there were some old friends moving back home.

I was excited about turning 18. Sometimes I really didn't feel like an adult even though I was fully grown and had all the responsibilities of an alpha. I secretly hoped that I would magically feel more like a grown up when I turned 18 but I knew that was asking for a little too much. I had changed a lot over the years but there were still some situation that I wished I was stronger within myself. Standing up against my family was one of them. I rarely had to stand up against them but there were some situations where we just didn't agree and it made me wish I was stronger. My role as alpha while I was in college was one of those situations.

Leaving my role as alpha was one of the hardest decisions I had to make in my life. Everybody had an opinion on what I should do and I was thoroughly confused about it. I was so connected to my pack that the thought of not being with them was almost painful. I was alpha female and I was very possessive and protective of them. I took care of my pack. I listened to their problems, I helped them make decisions, I helped them get out of trouble whenever I could. I was involved in their lives and I didn't know how not to do it anymore. In a perfect world, I would go to college during the week and then come back on weekends to run the pack and for pack meetings. My dad thought that it was crazy to be running back and fourth between LaPush and California. He wasn't the only one. Everybody thought I was crazy for wanting this. I didn't really see the problem. I knew I could do it, but my parents were worried that my grades would suffer. I felt that they were underestimating me at first but after talking to everyone I began to see their points. It would be very difficult to do both and do them well.

Nobody understood how hard it would be for me to be away from my pack. It all started when Sammy and Lina left for college. Their departure was painful. Slowly, the pack would be divided into different states because everyone was going to different colleges. The only ones who would be with me were Lina, Liam and _Harry_. Ugh! I would have been ok with Harry being across the country but the twerp got accepted to UC Berkley with his imprint. That was just like my stupid luck. Harry and I had slowly become allies over the years so I wasn't too worried about it. I was just annoyed. Three wolves would be with me in California and the rest would stay in Washington with my dad and uncle Kal, except for Jaime, who was considering the University of Texas. It would be an adjustment but I had to get used to it. I was immortal and I couldn't be with the packs forever. Eventually a new alpha would have to be named and even my father and uncle Kal will have to step down.

Quill and Claire decided to move back to the rez because their kids were getting close to phasing age and two of the boys were already showing signs. I hadn't seen the kids in 2 years. I hadn't even met Quill's youngest daughter. She was almost one and it would be the first time any of us met her. They were opening a new office between Port Angels and LaPush so their new house was in the LaPush border. We were all happy to have them back. I was just bummed because Quill and Claire were two of my favorite people and they were moving back just as I was leaving for college.

To everyone's surprise, Sammy moved back home temporarily. Sammy got his bachelor's degree and he moved back home in May while he decided where to go for graduate school. We stayed friends after our 'incident' but seeing him every day was nerve-wracking. I was very nervous about it at first. I found myself wanting to be around him more and more for that first week. By the end of the week, I decided that I wasn't going to fight it anymore so I started inviting him over to my house to 'hang out'.

We got close, quickly. Very close. He would come over for popcorn and movies with Lina, Liam, and myself. Later, we started running patrol together, by ourselves, to talk about the next stage in our lives. Once school was out, we ran almost every night together, which the other wolves appreciated because they didn't have to patrol. On one of those many nights, we ran to the cliff side and sat at the edge to watch the stars over the horizon and to talk about college.

"Have you decided if you are going to run the pack from college?" He asked me.

"I think I'm going to leave that over to dad and uncle Kal. Its just hard. Like going against my nature but I guess I should concentrate on school."

"I think that's a good idea. When I heard you were thinking of leading the pack _and_ going to college was a little worried for you. I thought you were underestimating how tough college can be, especially the IV league." I really hated that everyone thought it would be too much for me. Uncle Kal was the only one who agreed with me when I said that I wanted to divide my time between school and the pack but he never went to college so I decided to go with my parent's advice.

"I know but I'm excited. I think I can do well." I said with a shrug.

"I think you can too, now, that you decided to do the school thing full time and leave the pack to your dad. I'm glad you came to your senses." He said and bumped his shoulder against mine.

"Ha ha. I can't believe you still haven't decided where to go for grad school. You do know you're going to need to show up somewhere once the summer is over?" I asked him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and leaned back on his elbows.

"I know, I know." He said in a grumpy tone that made me smile. I leaned back too and we both looked at the stars.

"I'm glad I decided to go to Stanford with Liam and Lina so we can all stay together. I just have to put up with your annoying brother." I grumbled. He laughed.

"Yeah, its funny how that worked out. As for the three of you, you guys know that at some point you will have to separate, right?"

"Never! We'll be the three musketeers until the end of time. Its all for one and one for all, forever!" I joked but the idea of getting separated was always in the back of my mind. Sammy laughed at me.

"What about when you imprint? What if one of you imprints on a baby and you have to move close to the baby's family?"

"Uley! Don't you dare put that out there! Ugh!" I shuddered. He laughed and put his arm around me, bringing me closer to him. The action caused us to lay flat on our backs. My head laid comfortably on his chest looking at the night sky. This wasn't unusual for us. We both got very close and he often put his arm around me. Every time it felt amazing. I turned my head to look up at him. He looked down and grinned at me. His smile was mesmerizing and I felt the usual butterflies I had when I was around him.

"This is going to sound awful but sometimes imprinting feels like a death sentence. Like my life will be over and this new life that I didn't want or ask for begins." I told him.

"I know how you feel. I tried dating for years but it was all so pointless. I was too afraid to fall for them because of the imprint." He confessed.

"I hate not having control of my own life."

"You do have some control. Just not this aspect of it." He told me. I looked at him again and he smiled sadly. The way he looked at me was like a reflection of my own longing. We both knew what we wanted and who we wanted. If we were human, none of this wouldn't be a problem. He would be mine, I would be his and it wouldn't feel wrong as it did now.

For once, I wanted to be a human. More importantly, I wanted to kiss him. I angled my body up a bit so that I could face him. He just kept staring at me as I got closer to him. I kissed his cheek first and, when he didn't push me away, I became bolder. I kissed the corner of his lips softly because I was starting to feel a little anxious and insecure. My lips lingered close to his and he turned his head slightly and he kissed me. His arms was around me, holding me tightly and his free hand took my face gently to bring me closer to him, deepening our kiss. I kept waiting for him to stop us but his lips started to devour mine. He leaned back further and the action slightly pulled me on top of him. I felt his tongue seek entrance and our tongues began to caress one another. I moved my leg over his torso so that I could angle myself on top of him. I straddled him and pressed my lower body against his. Then he suddenly stopped kissing me and his body became rigid. He looked at me. His eyes were worried.

"I'm so sorry. We can't do this Sarah. I can't. I don't know what came over me. " He said. I looked down at his chest. The sting of rejection was causing me to become emotional.

"Why?" I asked him. "Because we have an imprint out there we haven't met yet? Aren't you sick of having to yield your life to someone you don't know?" My voice was almost a whisper because I couldn't trust myself not to cry. I couldn't even look into his eyes. He stroked my cheek to get my attention and looked at me sadly.

"I don't want to hurt you." He said softly.

"I don't want to hurt you either. But I've loved you since I was 13." He smiled at my comment.

"You make that sound like such a long time. You're only 17." He told me amused. I smiled too when he put it that way. I got up slightly so that I was resting on my knees, still straddling him. He sat up too, leaning on one arm. His other hand stoked my arm as he studied my face.

"I'll be 18 in a few weeks." I told him after a moment. He nodded, still looking into my eyes.

"I know but I just can't live with hurting you if I do imprint. I don't care if you do. I love you enough to be happy for you but, if its me, I …"

"I would be happy for you too. Don't you think I want you to be happy?" I interrupted.

"I know you do." He said.

"I know you are worried about hurting me, but I love you and I know you love me too. We can't have the future but we can have tonight. We can have the present for however long it lasts." I told him.

I bit my lower lip nervously, worried that he would say no again. He didn't. He kept looking at me and stroking my arm as if he were trying to decide. I was sitting on his lap so I could see the indecision clearly on his face. I decided to take care of this decision for him. I took his face into my hands and kissed his lips chastely to see how he would react. He didn't stop me. I kissed him again, deeper, longer, and, again, he didn't stop me. On the contrary, his arms came around my waist and brought me closer to him. He didn't stop me when I kissed his lips again to taste his mouth with my tongue. He didn't stop me when I trailed kisses from his chin down to his neck. He didn't stop me when I put my hands on his bare chest to push him gently back to the ground or when I unbuttoned his pants.

This night was our night, our choice. Sammy was my choice and I put all my guilt aside and I made love to the man I had chosen since I was 13. I didn't really know what I was doing but I knew enough that I was able to make Sammy moan. Sammy was very gentile and sweet. As always, he was very careful with me, as if I was a porcelain doll. I wished he was a little more assertive. I certainly wasn't breakable but somehow it made our night together even more perfect because every stroke, every caress, was exactly him. Nevertheless, there was this small part that was tugging at me. I hated that it felt so wrong and so right. I wanted him and I did love him. I shouldn't have to feel guilty for loving him, should I?

We had fallen asleep at some point in the night and were awakened by the sunrise. I welcomed the sunrise in his arms, feeling their warmth.

"Good morning." He told me with a big smile.

"Good morning."

"Are you ok? Are you sore or anything?" He asked me worried. I shook my head no. I did feel a little discomfort at first but it had definitely been worth it and it was long gone by now.

"We are going to have to be very careful when we phase with the others." I told him. He looked a bit worried and I laughed.

"Don't worry. I can command dad not to kill you if he finds out." He chuckled and helped me get up.

"I'm kinda counting on it my beautiful almighty leader." He said jokingly and gently put his arms around my waist. I giggled and kissed his chin. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me sweetly. There was a gentleness about him that was present even in his kisses.

"Lets get going. Last thing we need is for Kal to find us." He said worriedly. Last night was our night to patrol so there wasn't anyone out yet and uncle Kal wouldn't be flying for a few hours. I wasn't worried. We phased and ran to our homes.

The next four weeks were blissful. Sammy and I took trips to Port Angels to go to the movies and to dinner then we came back home and spent out nights at the cottage, away from the whole world. We put up a good show for the others so that they thought we were just hanging out as friends but when we were in private, it was a whole other story. Lina was the only one who knew and she was very supportive, even if she didn't approve. Lina and I decided not to tell Liam because he would freak as bad as my dad would.

Sammy was always his usual protective self and he always made sure that I got home early so that I could get enough sleep or he insisted on ordering extra food at restaurants to make sure I was eating enough. He even became more protective of me around the elders. I didn't speak up on council meetings unless I absolutely had to. When Sammy was around he had the habit of speaking on my behalf. This was something he was accustomed to do because it was always hard for me to speak up against his dad, which happened often since Sam and I had such different opinions. Once we stated dating, I didn't need to speak up at all. He knew my position on almost every matter and he would speak up for me so that I didn't have to. He even spoke to my parents the one time I got in trouble for staying out late on a night I didn't have to patrol. His babying was a bit annoying but I loved every second of his attentions.

Quill moved back home a week before my birthday. I got everyone in the pack together to help them move in. The trucks arrived before Quill and his family so the pack and I started unloading boxes. By the time they arrived, everything was unloaded into their new house. We all had hung back at Quill's with pizza and beers to welcome them home. Both Quills and Embry's families were coming for the week to help set up the new office and for my 18th birthday party.

As soon as they arrived, my parents went over to welcome them and help to them get the kids out. Mom was so happy to see them. We all had to make sure to act human because uncle Embry's wife was not an imprint so she wasn't allowed to know about the wolves. It was a difficult situation and it was a situation that kept uncle Embry away from the tribe. He had several fights with my dad and the council about it but he still came to visit us. In the end, we were all family and his oldest son, Evan, was 10 and so he could become a wolf soon. Evan's younger brother, John was only 4. Uncle Embry only had 2 kids but Quill had 4 now, which was why he got a bigger house than he had in Seattle.

I hung back with my pack while the older and former wolves said their hellos. Everyone was having fun until Quill cursed. We all looked their direction and saw a Collin smiling at the baby girl Claire was holding like she was the brightest star in the sky.

"There it goes again." Riley said. He started laughing and then he stopped abruptly when he saw Quill's other daughter Allison. Last time Quill's family was here, Allison had been with her grandmother in the Makah reservation. So the last time Riley saw her was before he had phased. Allison was 9 and she was beautiful. Henry and Jaime had already imprinted and it looked like it was Riley's turn.

"That's it. I'm getting the hell out of here." Lina said and she set her beer on the ground before she walked away into the forest. She didn't even get a chance to say hi to her little cousins. The rest of us unimprinted wolves looked at each other. Emma, now 15, looked at her sister walk off and took that as her chance to leave. Emma hated being a wolf. The idea of imprinting terrified her. I wanted to follow Lina and Emma into the woods but I was an alpha. I had to stay to welcome everyone.

"Is it horrible to admit that I want to leave too?" Sammy asked me. We both looked at each other with the same expression. Even though we were always surrounded by imprinted wolves, imprinting never seems so real and so terrifying as it did at that moment. We watched Riley walk over to Allison and welcome her. She blushed as soon as she shook his hand.

"I want to leave too." I admitted. Sammy took my hand. I saw Liam give us a strange look, and I quickly let go. He had been suspicious for a few days because he caught Sammy and I naked in the woods while he was out flying a few nights ago. Thankfully we were just talking. Riley turned around and called us over to meet Allison. Sammy sighed and lead the way over to them.

"Welcome home." I told Quill sarcastically. Quill looked pissed and Embry looked amused. Uncle Embry put his arm around me.

"Hi honey. Where are the girls?" He asked looking around for Lina and Emma.

"They're around." I shrugged. Evan came over to me and gave me a hug.

"Hi Evan. You excited to be back home?" I asked him.

"Not really." He shrugged. I laughed.

"Evan!" His mother, Jimena, said. She was a beautiful woman and the boys were both very handsome.

"Its ok. The forest is not for everybody. How was the drive?" I asked her and started doing small talk with the human to distract her from everything that was going on. Jimena only met my dad one time and she never met my mother so we all had roles to play. I was my dad's cousin, and so was Will. Mom was his new bride. It was all very complicated but it had to be done. Thankfully, Embry and his family were leaving after my birthday.

There was a big party at the beach to welcome Quill and his family back to the tribe. Liam, Lina, Sammy, Collin and I were all having a beer and chatting. Lina actually stayed with the group because the kids were all down at the beach so she felt 'safe'. Only little Payton Atera was allowed in our little group because there was no way Collin was letting go of his new imprint. I was happy for Collin. I had secretly hoped that Collin would imprint on an immortal because I loved having him in my life but him imprinting on a baby was the next best thing. Besides, Payton had the wolf gene which meant that, best case scenario, I could call forth her wolf if she wanted me to. That was one of my powers as a true alpha. I didn't need to wait until three wolf lines merged so that the females in the tribe could phase and I didn't have to wait until the males in the tribe started showing signs. As long as the person had the gene, I could call forth any wolf. That's why I felt connected to everyone, just like uncle Kal.

Of course, I could not abuse this power. I had to ask for permission to the council to bring forward or take away someone's wolf, unless it was an emergency situation like a sudden attack. Lina was the only wolf I ever called forth and I only had to take one wolf power away. Jamie got into trouble because his imprint was hurt by her stepfather and he abused his power as a wolf to get revenge. Even though he restrained himself, we were afraid that he would loose control and kill the stepfather anyway. We got the situation resolved but in the end Jamie voluntarily asked the council to take away his wolf. I commanded him to turn human and never phase again unless it was an emergency. It was one of the hardest things I had to do but surprisingly, it helped strengthen my relationship with Jaime.

Jamie was happy being human and growing old with his imprint. He was grateful that I was able to help him. They were the same age and he only looked a few years older than her so it all worked out. They both at the party happily chatting with Jimena, Embry and the other ex-wolves. We all knew we had to act human for Jimena but what we didn't expect was that Quill's new business associate would also join our welcome home party. Now we had two non-imprinted humans to worry about. Embry and Claire came over to us to introduce the other human.

"Guys this is Marti, she just got in. She's helping Quill open up the branch down here before she heads back to Seattle." Claire told us cheerfully. I saw Sammy stiffen beside me with the corner of my eye but I noticed _her_ awed expression before I saw Sammy's. Marti's eyes were wide and bright as she looked at the man standing next to me. I turned to look at him and saw my nightmare come to life.

"Hi, I'm Sammy Uley. Welcome." He said as he quickly stepped towards her, never breaking eye contact. He was mesmerized be her, like a moth to a flame. As he stepped forward, I took a step back. Lina took my arm as if I were about to lose my balance which probably I was. I couldn't even breathe. It was almost as if I could see his connection to me, his love for me, dissolve as the new, unbreakable, tie formed to his imprint, Marti. I was shaking and I was pretty sure everyone was feeling the hard shot of pain that was coursing through me because every wolf in the area was looking at me. Every wolf, except one. Sammy…

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**A/N: Don't hate me! I know some of you saw this was coming but, for those of you who were cheering for Sammy, I'm sorry! As much as I love Sammy, he is not the one for Sarah and you will see why later on. The story is far from over and there is a lot more to come so bare with me. :-)**


	13. Chapter 13

**********************A/N: This chapter started off so short and now it it twice as long as the original so I am going to post it before I end up breaking it into two chapters. I hope you like it.**

**********************Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

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**Sarah**

I had to get out of there. I didn't want to risk phasing front of Jimena and Marti. Lina let me go and walked away as calmly as possible. She tried to come with me but I shook my head at her. I needed to be alone. I walked until I entered the trees and then I ran at superhuman speed. I ran deep into the forest until I found somewhere to sit and stayed there for a minute. I didn't phase. My powers and emotions were stronger in my wolf form and I didn't know what this emotional blow would do. I didn't cry. I was surprised at that. I was so sure I would cry but the tears didn't come. I just kept seeing his face in y mind. That look of absolute bliss and I couldn't bring myself to cry about it.

'I knew this could happen. I'm happy for him.' I kept chanting over and over again in my head. Trying to gain control over my emotions. 'Control it Sarah!' I told myself. Chanting was a technique I used when I was a little girl. Every time I was bullied I would control it. I would control my reaction until I got somewhere private where I could fall apart because I couldn't give my bullies the satisfaction of seeing me cry. This situation was sooo much worse than before.

I didn't know what I was feeling. Maybe I was just too shocked to cry. I felt shocked. I felt out of control. My body wanted to phase and, after a few more minutes, I caved. I was able to control my wolf which was grateful for. I instantly heard Liam and Lina fighting in my head. I could see something had happened at the party which was why they hadn't come after me but they were too busy with their thoughts about the current situation to allow me to see what happened.

_"You knew about this!"_ He screamed at Lina. He was currently more pissed at Lina than he was me.

_"We knew you would overreact!"_

_"Look what happened. I have every right to overreact."_ He yelled at her. I felt my dad phase and they both stopped talking.

_"Go to the house and wait for us there."_ My dad told all of us. I could hear mom running beside him. I finally saw what happened at the party through his thoughts. He had been arguing with aunt Leah about who would kick Sammy's ass first when Will and Emma when hit Sammy. Will hit him in the gut surprising Marti. Uncle Embry pulled Marti and Claire out of the way just as Emma stepped in and broke Sammy's nose. Aunt Leah quickly grabbed them and was trying to remedy the situation so that dad could make his way over to me. They told everyone I was feeling sick and that's why I had to leave so suddenly.

I was so humiliated. My emotions were running haywire and I felt myself shake even in my wolf form. I was too out of control to stay a wolf and I was too out of control to stay a human. It was like I couldn't hold either form. Great! I was running out of forms to phase into.

_"Just try to relax."_ Lina told me as we got home. Relax. That was laughable. Liam, Lina and I got to the house first so we phased back and got dressed. We walked back to the back porch of the house to wait for the others.

"You don't have to stay." I told Lina at the same time Liam asked me the stupidest question ever.

"Did you sleep with him?" Liam asked me angrily.

"That's enough Liam!" I said angrily.

"Answer him." Dad said as he stepped through the woods fully dressed. We were all in the backyard area. There was a bit of distance between my father and myself but I could see his angry disappointed face as clear as day. My mom passed him and came over to the porch to hug me making me become emotional again.

"It doesn't matter Jacob." She told him as she let me go.

"It matters to me! Did you sleep with him?!" He yelled at me. His anger helped me gain control again. I was used to dealing with anger. It was so much easier to deal with than sadness and emptiness. My father and I glared at each other for a moment before I answered him.

"Yes." I told him. My father started to shake.

"It was my choice. He was my choice and I was his. I don't regret it. He imprinted. We both knew it could happen. I'm _happy_ for him." I told him bit my voice cracked a bit at that last part. Dad glared at me for another moment and then he exploded.

"I can't believe that you would do something so irresponsible!"

"He was my choice." I repeated. Aunt Leah chose to make an appearance at that moment with Emma and Will.

"Yeah well somebody punched him in the face and broke his nose and another person punched him in the gut to help him snap out of his imprint trance. He's on his way here to talk to you. I saw him getting in his car with Rachel." Aunt Leah warned me. I saw Emma cross her arms angrily.

"Let him come. We'll just kick his ass all over again." She said angrily. Will was also crossing his arms angrily. Dad turned to them.

"You two are supposed to be keeping up appearances. How the hell are we supposed to explain how a 15 year old girl and a 12 year old boy were able to attack a fully grown man? How are we going to explain how his broken nose healed so quickly?" Dad asked them angrily.

"I don't care. That asshole deserved it." Will told him.

"You are so grounded, buddy, and I'll let your parents deal with you, young lady. In the house. Now!" Dad told them. They both marched into the house. Aunt Leah, Liam and Lina went with them.

"Come on Jacob. Let's go inside." Mom said and held out her hand for his.

"I'm not leaving her alone with him. He is a full grown man and she is still a minor."

"Jacob Ephraim Black! She is a week away from being 18 and she's an alpha. I'm not happy about it either but she can handle this." Mom scolded him.

"Please dad. Just go." I begged as I heard a car coming up the driveway. Mom walked over to my father, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house just as Sammy and aunt Rachel came out of the car.

"Where the hell is that girl?" Aunt Rachel demanded.

"She's inside. Dad's lecturing them."

Aunt Rachel went in, giving me a sympathetic look as she passed me. Sammy was still by the car. His nose looked a bit swollen but it was healing quickly. It would probably heal before he went back to the party. I walked over to him. My heart was pounding. It was strange how I was suddenly nervous to be around him.

"I don't know what to say, Sarah." He started. I saw his sadness and I couldn't bring myself to hate him or even be angry. He met his soul mate today. This was supposed to be a happy day for him yet he was here, sad and with a broken face because of me. Though I had to admit, it did make me feel a little better that he came over to see me. I swallowed my pain and I gave him my best attempt at a smile. I loved Sammy and I promised him I would be happy for him. I walked over to him and I gave him a hug, trying my best to keep that promise.

"Congratulations. I'm very happy you found her." I told him as I let him go. He had tears in his eyes and for some reason I still didn't. I was numb.

"I wish it was you." He told me. I didn't know if he meant that he wished he imprinted on me instead or if he wished if was me who imprinted but I nodded regardless.

"I'm sorry about the kids hurting you." I told him.

"I deserved it."

"No. You didn't. You're a good man, Sammy. You deserve to be happy." I told him. He looked at me a little shocked.

"How do you do that? How are you so calm?" He asked me.

"I told from the beginning that I love you enough to want you to be happy." He nodded. He didn't say he loved me back and it made my emotions stir a bit. I pushed them back down and kept chanting silently in my head.

"You're an amazing person. I was so sure you would hate me. Everyone else does. I thought Paul was gonna phase all over again. My dad is pretty mad too." He said sheepishly. I nodded. I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do.

"Take me back there." I told him in a emotionless voice I didn't recognize.

"No Sarah." He said alarmed, as if he already knew what I was going to do. He should. My pack was out of line and I was going to take care of it, like I always do.

"Come on. You Drive." I told him and I got in the car. He just stared at me outside the car.

"Come on Sammy. I don't have all day." I told him again. He shook his head and got in the car with me. My mom came out as we drove off and I heard her voice in my head.

_"What are you doing?"_ I ignored her. We drove back in silence.

"Really Sarah, you don't have to do this." He said as soon as he parked. I smiled at him sadly and got out of the car. When we got there, everybody was looking at us.

"I thought this was supposed to be a party. Where's the music?" I asked. Someone turned on the music and I walked to Marti who was talking quietly to Quill and Sam.

"Hi Marti. I'm Sarah Black. Claire didn't get a chance to introduce us."I extended my hand to her and she shook my hand.

"Um. Hi Sarah. Nice to meet you." She said a bit uncertain.

"I'm so sorry for running off like that. I think I might be coming down with something. "

"Are you ok?" Her face was suddenly full of concern for me. Damn her! I could already tell it was going to be really hard to hate her.

"Yes. Thank you for asking. My cousins had to go to the house to take care of some things with the kids. They can be a little too rambunctious."

"Yes. I can't believe they hit Sammy like that." I could see the concern in her face so clearly. Sammy came over to her as if he could feel her worry. He stood next to her and smiled at her. She smiled back and they both lost themselves into each other's eyes. I looked away and took a deep breath calming breath because for the first time tonight, I felt like crying. I saw Sam had an angry look but I was surprised when that anger wasn't directed at me. He was glaring angrily as Sammy.

"Like a said, too rambunctious. Did you get something to eat yet?" I said quickly snapping them out of their imprint trance. Sammy looked at me with an apologetic look but I couldn't even look at him. I directed Marti to the imprint group who were all looking at me like I lost my mind. Claire quickly gave Marti a plate and Emily smiled at me with kindness. They started chatting and I went back to my pack. There were some of the former pack members with as if they were waiting to say something. I could feel my grandpa Billy's eyes on me. Grandma Sue was telling him and grandpa Charlie what she was suspecting. Great! Even the grandparents had caught up.

"We have three new imprints. Make sure they feel welcomed into our home so that their wolves have an easier time transitioning them into our world."

"Are you ok?" Pete asked me. I felt my emotions stir again so I just nodded at him, afraid that I would become unglued again. Uncle Kal came over to me and took my hand.

"Its been a long day. Let's go home. They have things handled here." He told me. I nodded at him, grateful for his dismissal. Uncle Kal was all about alpha's taking care of their pack so I was almost surprised that he was so ready to see me leave. Then again, I was like his daughter. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised at all.

"I'll give you two a ride." Uncle Paul told us. We got into his car and drove home. I sat on the back alone.

"That was a very brave and mature thing you did." Uncle Paul told me. I nodded. Tears were threatening me again. I was breathing deeply and looking down at my lap trying to control my emotions again. It was as if every time somebody tried to comfort me, my emotions would stir. As if I did better when I had to take care of others but not when others tried to take care of me.

I felt the car slow down. As soon as we stopped, I saw uncle Kal get out of the car and open my door. He sat next to me and took me in his arms. I hid my face on his chest and started crying. He put his arms around me. I heard uncle Paul shift in the front seat and then I felt him take my hand. I don't know how long I cried but uncle Kal's shirt was pretty wet by the time I had calmed down.

"Don't tell them about this, ok?" I told them as I wiped my face. Uncle Kal gave me a little squeeze before he kissed my head.

"There's nothing to tell. I do not agree with your choices but I am very proud of the way you have handled things." I looked into his forgiving eyes and I was grateful. Dad was so furious and disappointed that I thought uncle Kal would be too. Uncle Kal and dad were two very different types of fathers. Both were fiercely protective but dad was overbearing. Dad was all about catching me when I fell but uncle Kal was about standing back and letting me fall. He kept a close eye in case he needed to help me get up but he would let me make that choice myself. If my dad had it his way, he would be holding my hand every step so that I didn't fall to begin with.

"I'm tired of being strong. I am so tired of having things taken away from me and of nothing turning out the way its supposed to. I just wanted one thing for myself, one thing I had control over." I confessed to him. More tears streamed down my eyes. He nodded as if he understood were I was coming from, then he wiped my tears with the tips of his fingers.

"You have been through many lows but you have managed them all. You have always been in control. You will get through this, like the strong capable young woman you are." He assured me.

"You didn't just have a lot of lows, you had a lot of highs too." Uncle Paul chimed in. I had almost forgotten he was there. He smiled at me kindly. "You saved my daughter, you brought the packs together, you got the Volturi to let your best friend visit you. The world is a better place because of you." He reminded me.

"He's right. You've had many good moments in your life too." Uncle Kal agreed.

"Yeah but I had to go through a lot to achieve all those things." I complained. I really hated that my life couldn't be easy. Some people just had is so easy. Why couldn't I be one of them?

"If the road to greatness were easy, everyone would be great. Sometimes the wise choice is the most difficult one to make." Uncle Kal told me and Uncle Paul nodded in agreement.

"That's what worries me." They both smiled at my comment.

"You ready to go home or do you want to spend the night at our house?" Uncle Paul asked me.

"I think I'm ready to go home." I told him as I fixed myself. He nodded and started the car again. Uncle Kal stayed in the back seat with me. I snuggled in his protective arms and by the time I got home I was fully composed. We went inside. My dad was on the couch talking to my mother and aunt Rachel.

"Sarah." Dad said relieved as soon as I came in. "Thanks guys." He told my uncles.

"We're gonna get going. Emma is getting some serious grounding time." Uncle Paul told him.

"Don't go too hard on her." My dad pleaded. Aunt Rachel rolled her eyes. Dad always had a soft spot for Emma because she was the youngest and she didn't have anyone her age like Liam, Lina and I. He tried to convince aunt Rachel to give her a little brother or sister for years but he gave up after Emma turned five.

"Girls!" She yelled. Emma and Lina both came down the stairs. They both gave me a hug before they left.

"I'm going to find, Leah." Uncle Kal announced. He gave me one last hug before he left. Then it was just me and my parents.

"Where were you?" Dad asked me.

"I went back to the party to welcome the new member of our tribe. I instructed the rest of the pack to make her and all the new imprints feel welcome and then uncle Paul brought us home."

"You didn't have to do that." Mom told me.

"Yes I did. I know you are both disappointed in me. I knew it was wrong but I made the decision and now I have to deal with the consequences. I was just hoping that it happened while I was in Stanford and not right in front of my face but…" I shrugged as if it was no big deal that my heart was broken.

"You're really ok?" Mom asked doubtfully.

"Not 100% ok but I'll live. Actually, I was wondering if it was ok to cancel my party next week. I don't think I'll feel in a party mood by then."

"I can take care of that." Mom told me. Then she pinched my dad who was still crossing his arms angrily. He looked at her but then he relaxed his stance.

"Look Sarah. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just wish you would have waited. I hate seeing you hurting like this." He told me.

"You can't protect me from everything dad. I'm going to make mistakes sometimes and I'm going to hurt but I'm going to be ok." I told him, though it felt like I was saying it more to myself.

"I know you will, baby girl. But I'm your father. I'm always going to want to protect you, to make all the bad things go away." He told me. His angry face finally went away and his worry came through. My dad was _always_ worried about me. I went over to him and gave him a hug to comfort him even though I was the one who needed comforting. It reminded me that I had to be strong so that I could take care of the people I loved. I don't know why but I suddenly felt lonely and it made my emotions surface.

"Thanks, daddy." I told him quickly and then I went upstairs to my room, trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Liam and Will were waiting for me in my room.

"Please. Can I just have some alone time?" I begged them. Liam had his arms crossed and didn't show any signs that he would leave.

"Would you like me to get a bath ready for you?" Will asked me. He was the most attentive little brother in the world. I nodded. He left the room and Liam stared at me. I didn't like being under his scrutiny. Finally, he came over to me and hugged me.

"I still want to kill him for touching you. But I'll let him live for your sake." He said after he let me go.

"Thanks." I told him but he looked like he had more to say. Will came back into the room and looked at us before he left but Liam stayed behind.

"Please Liam. Not now. I' too tired." I begged him. I could feel my tears threatening. I didn't understand what was going on with my emotions but they were all over the place.

"I get that you are hurting but there is something I need to say." I sighed when I heard this but I nodded knowing he would not leave me alone until he said what he needed to say. I went over to my bed and I sat facing him.

"What?" I asked him. I took some more deep breaths to regain control of what I was feeling.

"You told Lina about Sammy and you didn't tell me because I am the one who was going to tell you what you didn't want to hear." His voice wasn't as angry as before but he still scolded me like a little girl.

"And what is that? Gosh! If you're here to yell at me then you can just leave." I yelled at him and I got up from the bed and opened my door. He just looked at me for a moment and then he rolled his yes and sat on my bed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just upset because you should have waited for him, and you know it. You should have waited for your imprint." He amended. I closed the door and I went over to sit on my vanity bench, but we were still facing each other.

"Sammy and I weren't planning this. We just care for each other. Is that so damn wrong?" I asked him. Liam's face softened as he looked at me.

"Caring for someone isn't wrong but the way you acted because of it, was wrong." He told me gently.

"I tried to wait but I've liked Sammy for a long time."

"I know. He was like that one thing you always wanted but you knew you could never have." I shook my head because I didn't like the way he was describing it. Sammy meant a lot more than that to me.

"I loved him. Not everyone can wait for their imprint forever like you can."

"Of course you couldn't wait. You two always circle around each other knowing that you were playing with fire."

"We were just two friends hanging out. Am I not allowed to spend time with my friends?" I asked him. He looked at me with a disbelieving face.

"Sarah, come on. The only person you're fooling with that is you. You two shouldn't have even allowed yourselves to be alone with each other. If you walk down the path of trouble eventually you will find it. The way you two are around each other it was only a matter of time until you slept together. You knew that it was wrong to be with someone who wasn't your imprint and you should not have put yourself in that situation to begin with." He retorted. Sometimes he was so arrogantly self-righteous that it made me want to smack him. Liam wasn't like the rest of us. He looked forward to falling in love with his imprint like a love struck schoolgirl. It was both incredibly sweet and incredibly lame.

"You don't understand. You've never loved anyone like this or even had a crush. Your 18 years old and you've never been in love." I told him. He nodded. He had a sad smile on his face.

"I am in love, Sarah. And unlike you, I will be able to tell that person that I loved her enough to wait. That no one else has a piece of my heart."

"How do you do that? How do you just wait around for someone you don't even know?" I asked him.

"You and Lina always made your imprint out to be the villain, as if meeting your soul mate was like meeting your doom, but I never did. My only fear about imprinting was if I imprinted on you or Lina."

"Oh my gosh! That's gross! You're my brother!" I told him horrified. That idea never even crossed my mind.

"I know but we're not really related. Neither is Lina and me. Trust me, when I first phased, nobody was more relieved about _not_ imprinting than me but then I talked to my dad and he made me see imprinting in a completely different way. The more I thought about my imprint the more I realized I'm already in love, with her. Whoever _she_ may be. She may not even be born yet but I love her. I love her because in my heart I know that she is the only being on earth that was made for me and that means something to me. And when I see her for the first time, I will be able to tell her that I loved her before I even knew she existed."

"What if it takes 50 years or a century for your imprint to be born?"

"That used to bother me but I don't care about that anymore because I decided that _she_ will be worth the wait. That's why I don't have crushes or date anyone. I stay away from that path all together because I have faith that my imprint will be worth that sacrifice. That's the path I chose, the path that leads me to her." We had never talked about the imprint like this before. I looked at him awed. I wish I could have his faith, but I couldn't.

"What if she isn't... What if your imprint isn't worth all this?" I asked him. Liam came over to me. He got down on the floor so that we could be at eye level and then he took my hands.

"He will be Sarah. Your imprint is going to change your life for the better."

"I don't know if that is the right path for me."

"Of course it is. Don't you want to be happy?"

"I was happy…" I said sadly. I really was. It was bitter sweet because I knew it wouldn't last. I knew that it wouldn't last past the summer but for those few weeks I was in bliss.

"That happiness you felt before, was an illusion. It wasn't even a fraction of the happiness you are going to feel when you imprint. Can't you see that? We all grew up with this stuff. Some imprints were easy, like Lina's parents and some were a little bit harder like our parents but the end result was always an unparalleled, blissful happiness. Even after all the crap they went through, if you ask any of them, they'll tell you that its worth it to be as happy as they are now. My dad waited hundreds of years for my mom. Look how happy they are now. I want that, Sarah. And I want that for you too."

"My life isn't a fairy tale. I just don't think things are going to be that easy for me." I told him. Liam looked me with a worriedly.

"What makes you think that?"

"What in my life has ever been easy? What in my life has ever turned out the way that it was supposed to? Liam, everything in my life goes wrong. Even before I was born. My father, a shapeshifter, imprinted on a half vampire hybrid, then I was born human! I wasn't supposed to be born human. I grew up and everyone around me treated me like I was different but I was human and had no way to defend myself. I didn't even have friends outside of you and Lina. Then I finally make a friend and she gets turned into a vampire. I wasn't the descendant of three bloodlines, I was the descendant of a wolf and vampire and then, I, of all people turn into a wolf. Not just any wolf, I turn into a freaking alpha female that I can barely control. I wasn't supposed to turn into a wolf and much less a wolf that gets thirsty for blood. Life just keeps happening to me and for once I wanted to control something in it. This imprint, I have no control over. Its just something else that I have to let happen to me. I'll be at his mercy, just like I have been with everything else and with my luck, the whole thing will probably turn out to be a catastrophe. Can you really blame me for wanting to have some choice over what happens to me?"

"I'm sorry you feel that way because someday you are going to imprint and all that darkness you've been through will go away. And you're gonna see that there was nothing to be afraid of. You didn't have to sleep with Sammy out of fear." He said softly. He was trying to be gentile because his words were like razors.

"I didn't do it out of fear. I did this because I wanted a choice." I repeated but my words started to feel more like a chant. Like I was trying to convince myself, not him.

"No Sarah. I know that's what you told yourself to justify it but you did this out of fear. You said it yourself. You are afraid that something will go wrong with your imprint. You slept with Sammy because, unlike your imprint, Sammy is familiar, protective and and you knew exactly what to expect from him. You were holding on to Sammy like a lifeline, just like Lina holds on to you. Gosh! I never realized how similar you two were."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not getting the connection.

"Are you serious? You don't see her attachment to you."

"She's my cousin. She loves me." I said and shrugged. Liam rolled his eyes and sat next to me on the bench.

"Its more than that Sarah. Lina didn't even want to go to college because she didn't want to be away from you. She comes back almost every weekend and spends more time with you than she does her own sister. I mean. I get why she's like that but she's holding on to you out of fear just like you've been holding on to Sammy." He explained. I put aside his comment about me and Sammy because I still didn't get his point about Lina.

"What does Lina have to be afraid of?"

"Everything. Lina almost died alone in a beach. If you hadn't felt her, she would be dead. Lina had always been the center of attention before that and she was going to die alone. Nobody would have rescued her if you hadn't been there." It all started to click as he said this.

"Then she phased and we started ignoring her." I continued. Lina was always chasing after me. I thought it was because I was her cousin and her alpha but perhaps Liam had a point.

"Yep. We both got new best friends and she was alone. Those boys never really accepted her because of her ties to us but she was too afraid to piss them off because they were all she had. She was caught between her wolf instinct and her fear. I never realized how much that whole ordeal affected her until she refused to go to college and we all had to threaten her into going. She hides it well but she is terrified of being alone. That's why she's afraid of the imprint. If she imprints on a human there is no guarantee that he'll be with her forever. He can die and leave her alone. As long as none of us imprint, it's a guarantee that we'll be together and she'll never have to be alone." I was so surprised that he was able to make those observations. Was he right about Sammy and me too? Did I sleep with Sammy out of fear?

"How do you know all this?" I asked him. He just shrugged.

"When your best friends in the world are two crazy women, you learn to just shut up and listen. Plus, I'm a bird. I watch over you two. Its my job to see things. Its what I do." He said proudly and nudged me. I smiled a little. It is what he did. Always watching over me like my guardian angel.

"So what do you see in me?" I asked him. He took my hand again.

"I see my brave, strong, sister. I see someone who had to learn to fight for everything she has. The respect of your pack, your best friend... The love of your imprint is not something that you'll have to fight for. Love him Sarah. Let the love for whoever this imprint is help you get over this thing with Sammy." He kissed my hand and I almost started crying.

"How did you become so wise Liam Clearwater?" I asked in a teasing tone because I was trying to control my emotions.

"I'm very observant and my dad is as old as dirt." He said sarcastically. I chuckled humorlessly and I kissed his cheek. He kissed my head and then he made his way to the door.

"Liam."

"Yeah?"

"That girl, whoever she may be, is one very VERY lucky girl." I told him. He smiled at me.

"So is _he_, whoever he may be." He said before he left.

I finally got into the bath Will prepared. The bathroom was the only place where I knew I would get some privacy. There, in my solitude, I finally allowed myself to fall apart. I cried so hard that I was almost surprised that nobody heard my sobs. I cried about so many things. I cried because I was hurting, I cried because I was angry, I cried because I would miss Sammy, because I felt betrayed, because I felt lonely and even more empty than before, because I was afraid that my emptiness would never go away, because I was upset that my life wasn't fair, because I had to struggle with everything in my life, because nothing ever came easy for me. I cried about every single thing I could possibly imagine, drowning myself in self-pity and self loathing every time. Then I got out of the bath and looked at myself in my bathroom mirror. In my reflection, I saw that little miserable, shy, wimpy girl that I had tried to hard to overcome. I was not that girl anymore. So I cleaned my face, told myself to push those feelings down, told that little girl to run back to whatever corner of my brain she was hiding in, and I walked away emotionless back into my room. This was my routine every time I got into the shower for four days straight until I couldn't cry or wallow anymore.

After I allowed myself to wallow in the privacy of my bathroom for four days, I thought a lot about what Liam said. Being with Sammy always felt a little wrong and I finally understood that it was because being with him was a betrayal of my imprint and of myself. I didn't know what life had in store for me. Uncle Kal always made it seem like I was being prepared for something. I just hoped that, whatever I was being prepared for wasn't a horrible imprinting experience. But the way my life worked out, there would be something bittersweet about it even if imprinting was the best thing to ever happen to me. That thought didn't just make me feel terrified, it made me feel even more empty and alone than I already felt.

I don't know why but every time I thought about imprinting, there was fear in me. There were just so many unknowns for me to ever feel anything but fear about the imprint. What if something was wrong with me? What if something went wrong with the imprint? What if my imprint didn't love me? What if my imprint refused to live forever with me? If he was human, would I be worth dying for to him? I knew that I just had to wait and see what happened. I had no control over it. Like everything else in my life, if something went wrong, I would fix it. That's the one thing I was sure of.

* * *

**A/N: As most of you know, I already wrote all of these stories. I just go back and edit or add new things to make the chapters easier to understand before I post them. As I read through this chapter, I realized that I put a LOT of myself into these new characters and the things that happen to them. Much more than with my previous stories. So many horrible things have happened to me this year mixed in with the good and uplifting things, just like Sarah. I didn't really realize how much of myself I put into Sarah until I edited this chapter. There's a lot of things that are going to happen to Sarah, Liam and Lina. There is still a lot of story left but I promise that there is a happy ending somewhere. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**************************Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

The Cullens and Mackenzie all came over for my birthday. My party was cancelled so we just had cake and a nice family dinner; however, when you have as much family as I do, even a small family dinner seems like a party. I sat in the living room between grandpa Edward and uncle Seth. I was mostly listening in to all the different conversations. My dad was talking to grandma, aunt Alice and aunt Leah. I wasn't really talking to anyone. Mom was catching up with my great grandparents and aunt Rose. Kal was talking to uncle Embry, Mac, Harry and Kara. Kara was pregnant and she was telling uncle Kal and Mac about the baby symptoms. Uncle Kal was smiling. He was happy about his first grandchild. Uncle Paul and aunt Rachel were talking to Chris and uncle Emmett. Liam, Lina, Emma and Will were all with Eve and uncle Jasper. Aunt Eve was telling them about her latest trip with uncle Seth. They were with doctors beyond borders doing amazing work across the globe. They spent their last two years in China. They were going back there next week. I wasn't paying to much attention to what they were saying until Lina said something that caught my attention.

"I wish I could go with you." Lina told aunt Eve. She was showing some interest in medicine since she started college. She was very good at all the hard sciences. I was more into history than science but even I was tempted to go to China after all the cool things aunt Eve told us.

"I think that can be arranged." Uncle Seth told her next to me.

"Why don't you, Sarah and Liam go? It will be a very good experience for all of you. Nice change in scene." Grandpa Edward suggested. They all knew what happened with Sammy and were very supportive of me. Dad snapped his head towards us.

"Count me in." Liam said.

"I want to go too!" Will said quickly. I saw dad roll his eyes and shake his head.

"I don't think so. China Eddie? Really?" Dad said giving him his 'what the fuck' look. Grandpa laughed and mom also turned her attention to us.

"I actually agree with dad. I think a change in scenery is exactly what you three need before college starts. It's only a month." Mom said.

"Awesome!" Liam hi fived Lina as if mom's approval sealed the deal. I guess it sort of did. My mom had a way con convincing or 'charming' people into giving into what she wanted.

"What's going on?" Uncle Paul asked when he saw everyone getting excited.

"I'm going to China!" Lina said excited. Uncle Paul frowned and everyone laughed. I thought about it and maybe grandpa was right. Helping people, a different country far from Sammy and his imprint would be exactly what I needed.

"I think this is gonna be great. What do you think Sarah?" Uncle Seth asked me as he put his arm around my shoulder. He gave me his puppy dog face. How could I say no to that?

"I'd love to go." I told him. I thought I saw Mac give me a worried look but it passed so quickly that I couldn't tell for sure. Grandpa Edward also looked her way for a moment but then he turned back to me and smiled.

"We'll have so much fun, I promise!" Aunt Eve said.

After dinner, everyone went home. Mac, Lina, and I went back to my house for a slumber party. Emma was still grounded so she couldn't sleep over. In a way it was a good thing. The less people around me, the less I had to pretend like I was ok. I told the girls I needed to change so I went to my room and took in the few minutes of peace I bought myself. I was at my vanity, brushing my hair when Mac came over to my room to check on me.

"Hey. Lina is making popcorn. You almost done?" She asked as if we both didn't know that her intrusion was just an excuse to make sure I wasn't crying. I emailed her about Sammy so she asked Alec to stay behind so that she could spend more time with me. It was very sweet. I loved having her around, even if it was for just a few days.

"Almost. I was just fixing my hair. Come on in." She came in and before she could close the door Lina also made an appearance. Both girls came in and hopped on my king size bed.

"So what should we do first?" I asked them. They both looked at each other then back at me, smiling in a way that made me very uncomfortable.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie? Or do makeovers?" I suggested.

"Or plot our revenge on Sammy?" Lina suggested.

"Or on Marti?" Mac added. I rolled my eyes at both of them and went over to my bed.

"Alright ladies, lets get one thing straight. Nobody is going to plot anything against Sammy or Marti. I mean it!" I said in a stern voice. Lina huffed and crossed her arms.

"You are taking this so damn well. I don't understand it. Are you really ok?" She asked me.

"No. I'm really not." I whispered. I was trying so hard to be strong for everyone but I just felt so guilty and empty. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. They both gave me a hug and held me for a long time. Finally they let me go and I tried my best to explain to them what I was feeling at the moment. My feelings were constantly changing and it was hard to put them into words.

"I'm trying to put a brave face because, I knew this could happen going into it. I knew that Sammy and I would never be a forever thing but I still wanted it. It was like stealing cookies from the cookie jar when we were little. I wanted the cookie so I got it even though I wasn't supposed to and as gratifying as it was, one look at mom's face made me feel guilty enough to tell her the truth and get us all in trouble. Seeing him imprint on Marti… It felt like my punishment. It felt like exactly what I deserve for trying to take someone that wasn't mine. I just feel so alone sometimes." I told them honestly.

"Don't do this to yourself. If we weren't wolves, you guys would be together. These things happen. Look at Sam and aunt Leah."

"The difference is that unlike Sam and aunt Leah, I actually knew better. They didn't know about imprinting or the consequences of their actions, I did and I went for it anyway, knowing that I was going to fall in love with someone who wasn't mine. Maybe Liam was right."

"Right about what?" Mac asked me.

"About waiting. I should have waited." I told them. I had thought about what Liam said for a while but that was the first time that I said those words out loud. It made me feel awful. It made me feel like I regretted being with Sammy, which was the one thing I promised myself I wouldn't do.

"You just made a mistake. We all make mistakes." Lina said sympathetically.

"Why did you do it?" Mac asked me.

"I don't know why I did it. Liam thinks that I was afraid. I was afraid of something going wrong with the imprint so I did because Sammy was familiar and safe but I don't know if that's true. I just liked Sammy for so long. The whole imprint things is such an unknown. Sammy has always been there for me. I guess I did felt safe with him."

"So what if he made you feel safe? That isn't something bad." Mac said.

"Maybe. But sleeping with someone out of fear, is." I admitted. Those words tasted vile in my mouth.

"It will be ok, Sarah. We'll just keep each other safe, as always." Lina said smiling. She took my hand and I smiled back at her.

"Speaking of safe. Promise me you guys will be very careful when you're in China." Mac said hesitantly.

"What's going on?" I asked her, remembering the worry I thought I saw in her face.

"I just don't like it when you are away from your pack like this. You are strongest here, with your family. China is kinda like the south. There are a different set of rules for the supernatural." She said. Lina and I both looked at her confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"I mean that just like there are more humans in Asia, there are also more immortals. You know how it is in 3rd word countries. People go missing all the time so its easy for vampire killings to slip through the cracks. That's why I have several missions coming up on that side of the world. I'm not really supposed to talk about this. Nothing is going to happen in the village Seth is in but be careful just in case." She said. The wolf inside me was suddenly in alert when Mac mentioned missions and she was also aware that she knew where uncle Seth was living.

"What kind of missions?" I asked her in a more serious tone.

"I'm sorry Sarah. I already said too much. Its really not something you should worry too much about. The entire region where Seth is stationed is pretty low key so I don't think you will run into any trouble. I just want you to be careful and stay close to your pack."

"How do you know uncle Seth's village is safe?" Lina asked her as if she could read the words from my mind.

"It's the Volturi's job to know where all of you are all at and monitor the region in case something happens. Don't worry though. They're not planning an attack or anything. Its more to know where you are at so that we can stay away from that area. Duilio wants to avoid confrontation with the Olympians at all costs." Mac's words made me feel very exposed but knowing that Duilio didn't want to attack us was comforting, as if he was on our side somehow.

"Shit! I suddenly don't feel like going anymore." Lina said. "If we tell them about this they probably won't let us go at all." She continued.

"Then don't tell them. Like I said, Seth's entire region is stable because there are such few people that if anyone goes missing it would be too obvious. Vampires prefer the slums in big cities or towns large enough where its common for people to go missing. None of the local vampires even know that there is a wolf and a hybrid in the region. Only the Volturi know." I wasn't too worried because I was pretty sure that grandpa Edward read this in her ming already and he wouldn't let us go if he thought it was dangerous. Nevertheless, I really didn't like that the Volturi would know where we would be.

"I wish they wouldn't know this much about us. I feel so exposed. Like they have the upper hand on us." I told her. Mac smiled at me and rolled her eyes.

"Listen. You don't ever have to worry about the Volturi suddenly going after your pack but, if it makes you feel better, I may be able to work my magic to keep them out of the loop about you guys being. You are only going for a month so its not like they need to know. Just don't attract attention to yourselves, stay away from vampires and you'll be fine." She said as if it was 'no big'.

"Well since you put it that way, let's just fly over there with I'm a werewolf signs hanging from our necks." Lina said sarcastically.

"Don't be silly. I'm a bitch signs should work just fine." She told her. Then she took my bed pillow and smacked both of us. I stuck my tongue out at her and we all started laughing. I think it was the first time I laughed since the breakup.

"Enough with the heavy stuff. Popcorn is definitely done by now so its time for a romantic comedy. Who's with me?!" Lina said excitedly and got up from the bed. We all headed downstairs and for the next few hours I had fun with my friends and I didn't think about Sammy or imprinting. It was the best birthday present they could have given me.

* * *

The following week was a bit hectic because we needed to get everything ready for the trip. We all had passports and with some Cullen influence it was easy to get all the permits needed for us to go. I was excited but in a much more subdued way compared to Liam and Lina.

The flight to China seemed endless. Liam complained that he could fly us there quicker than our private plane. After running free through the forest as a wolf, being confined to a plane was making me a little antsy. I almost wanted to tie us to one of Liam's talons and take him up on his offer to fly us there. Aunt Eve came over to my aisle and sat next to me when Lina went to the bathroom.

"How are you? Are you looking forward to this trip?" She asked me full of concern.

"I am. I'm sorry that I haven't been too enthusiastic. Its just easier to put all of my emotions aside." I confessed. She nodded and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Emotions can be dangerous but they are part of what keeps us alive. You took a risk and you got hurt but… Did you enjoy those few weeks with Sammy?" She asked me. I nodded. The tears were threatening to come but I refused to let them spill.

"Then take is as an opportunity to learn something about yourself and then let it go. Leave the past in the past. I know it doesn't seem like it now but someday you'll see that there was something to learn from what you went through and it can be a lesson that makes your relationship with your imprint even stronger. That way all this heart ache will be worth it."

"It will?" I asked sarcastically.

"It doesn't seem like it now but yes. Love is always worth the pain and the struggles. If you have learned something to make the bond with your true love stronger than it will be worth the pain." She told me confidently. I don't know why but her statement really rubbed me the wrong way. What the hell did she know of heartache?

"No offense aunt Eve but you found your soul mate when you were a little girl." I told her, trying not to sound offensive because I knew deep down she was trying to help. I saw her expression change for a moment and then she shook her head as if she were trying to clear some dark thought from her mind. She looked at me and took my hand as if she were going to tell me something important.

"That is true. I did meet my soulmate when I was a little girl and he changed my life forever. He changed it for the better. But before I met Seth, I was trapped by two vampires who murdered my father and forced me to help them rape women. It was hell but if that never happened I wouldn't have met Seth and I wouldn't have been raised my amazing parents. I wouldn't have the amazing family I have now. It was hell and I lost something irreplaceable. I lost my birth father but I gained so much love and happiness that it almost makes it ok. I think that he would have wanted it this way if he knew how happy I would grow up to be." Aunt Eve told me. I felt cold. I was pretty sure that all the blood had drained from my face from the shock of her story.

"Mom said that you had been kidnapped, like her, but she never told me all that." I whispered. She nodded in understanding.

"It was a very traumatic experience for all of us. We don't like to talk about it. The vampires that kidnapped Nessie and Leah used me to heal the humans they raped as they raped them so that they could survive long enough to get pregnant. I was there when Leah was raped. It was the most horrifying time of my life. It took a long time for me to get over it and a small part of me will always feel that pain."

"How do you get over something like that?"

"Seth helped me a lot and my parents, my brothers and sisters. I was a little scared of all them at first. Especially my new brothers. I still remember your grandpa Edward teaching me how to play piano, hoping that I would finally open up to him. He was always so tender and careful with me. Emmett would try to teach me how to play video games and sports to get me to like him. It took me a while to figure it out but Jasper used to spend almost every night outside my room making sure I was sleeping peacefully. Alice said he did this for months. Everyone in my family showed me what love was all about in their own little way until all the pieces of myself came back together. Love is a powerful thing." She had tears in her eyes as she talked about the love of her family. I was crying too. I gave her a hug and held her for a long time because hearing her go through something so painful was making me hurt. Suddenly my broken heart seemed like nothing at all.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." I told her as I let her go.

"Me either." Lina said from the seat next to us. She had snuck back from the bathroom and sat close to us to listen. Liam was also listening in intently. They both had tears in their eyes, just like I did. Liam was holding Lina's hand. That story must have been especially hard for him to hear. Aunt Eve looked at him and took his other hand. Liam kissed her hand and she smiled at him to let him know she was ok. I felt a sudden admiration towards her that I never had before. I looked at Liam and Lina and I knew they were thinking the same thing.

"This happened a long time ago. We never meant to keep this from you kids on purpose, we just all decided to put the past behind us. The only reason I told you now is because I need you to understand that when you have love in your life, nothing broken stays broken forever. Especially your heart." She told all of us. Then she tuned back to me. "Sammy still loves you in his own way and when you find your imprint you will see that going through this will only make your love stronger because it will make you appreciate how truly special your imprint is. You will never know a love like the love you feel for your soul mate."

"Thanks aunt Eve." I told her and she smiled at me.

"I think we've all been so scared of imprinting because we feel like we won't have a choice. What if we imprint on someone awful?" Lina said.

"You mean like if you imprint on a bloodsucker?" Aunt Eve said referring to how uncle Seth and my dad both imprinted on half vampires who are technically supposed to be out enemies. Lina blushed and Uncle Seth chuckled. He had been sitting quietly in the seat behind us listening to her story but now he got up and kissed the top of aunt Eve's head from behind her.

"Your imprint is your other half. Trust me, they won't be awful. They'll be perfect. And the bloodsucking really isn't bad. I kinda like it." Uncle Seth said as he looked down to her and gave her a wink. Aunt eve was looking up into his eyes from her seat. She smiled up at him and I could tell he was trying to lighten up the mood.

"Aw. Thanks honey." Aunt Eve told him.

"Anytime my little bloodsucker." He told her cheerfully.

Aunt Eve's talk made me feel better about what happened with Sammy. I realized that everyone had different advice based on their own experiences and thoughts about imprinting. In the past, I tried not to give imprinting much thought because of that little part of me that always felt insecure and unwanted. Now that I was a wolf I really had to start thinking about it and form my own opinions. I still was uncertain about the imprint but maybe imprinting wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it would help me get over Sammy.

* * *

We arrived at China early in the morning, China time. We took the train because we had a supplies with us and after the train we drove a carrier van all the way to the village. At the village, we met the rest of the volunteers, got oriented, and, by the second day, we got right to work.

Being in the village was like a whole other world. I had read about people in poverty, seen movies, heard stories but being there face to face was a completely different experience. It was eye opening, to see what these people had to go through and it made me feel so irresponsible that I have never even given them much thought. I grew up in privilege and my idea of poverty were people in the rez who lived in one bedroom houses without air conditioning. I felt so guilty but I also felt so protective. I still had Mac's warnings in my head and the idea that there were vampires roaming around killing off people who lived in these conditions made my wolf enraged. It was like picking on the runt of the litter. I was the runt once and it made me very protective of these people so, by the end of the first week, I started making Lina and Liam run patrols since uncle Seth was working too hard at the hospital to add patrols to his plate. Liam thought it was odd but Lina understood why I needed to protect them. It wax the first time that I was organizing patrols and leading the pack on my own but Lina and Liam always had my back so leading them was easy. It made me feel a lot better knowing that we were not only helping the conditions in the village, but also protecting them from any attacks.

We took turns to patrol the nights so that we had enough energy to work during the day. Liam, Lina and I were always together on the projects they assigned us. By the second week, I was team leader on all the projects I was assigned. I couldn't believe we never tried this before. The people we met needed so much help and it was so easy for us. We had more strength and stamina than any of the other volunteers. We were able to build things faster and easier than any of them. We helped built homes, wells, irrigation systems, and the biggest project was the new hospital. Uncle Seth and aunt Eve spent all of their time there so we worked on the repairs and expansions. By the end of the third week, we had done what would have taken them two months to do.

My team was very diligent and effective but we also had fun. During our breaks, we had fun to playing with the kids and get to know them. I loved all the kids in the village and they loved us. We taught them how to play baseball, soccer, and basketball. The kids loved it. There was one particular child that I fell in love with because he reminded me of Will. But it was more than that. There was something really special about him and we could all feel it. His name was Enlai. He was uncle Seth's and aunt Eve's favorite too. Liam, lina and I started learning more about him and we had just learned his story from one of the other volunteers. We were all very upset. Enlai's mother had gone to one of the bigger cities and came back pregnant. She had told her brother that she was raped by some foreigner but the brother disowned her. He only took Enlai in after she died because he was a boy but he didn't want him. He could tell that Enlai was half foreigner by the way he looked. That part really touched a nerve with all of us especially me. My heart broke for him. That night, over dinner I brought up Enlei's situation to uncle Seth.

"Why don't you guys adopt him?" I asked him.

"Yeah uncle Seth. He would be such a great little cousin." Liam told him. Aunt Eve looked at uncle Seth sadly.

"I know you really like him kids but he's human and we're not. How will we explain to him why we don't age without telling him what we are? Its against the Volturi law and the wolf law too." Uncle Seth explained.

"But his family doesn't want him and you guys do. Don't you feel it? He belongs with us." Lina told him. I couldn't agree with her more. This little boy just felt like a part of this family. I didn't realize she felt it too until that moment. Aunt Eve and uncle Seth looked at each other. Aunt Eve had tears in her eyes and I got the impression that this was something they had discussed before.

"I'm sorry kids. This is one of the prices we pay for immortality. We just can't." Uncle Seth told us sadly. I was surprised when Lina got up and left the room we were in. I started to feel sorry that I brought this up to begin with. I got up and went after her. I walked outside and saw her sitting by the well. She was crying. I sat next to her.

"He doesn't have anybody who wants him. He's all alone in the world. Enlei's uncle doesn't want him and he keeps threatening to send him to the orphanage. If we were normal, that little boy would have a home and a family, our family." She cried. Her words brought tears to my eyes and my chest hurt for Enlei. I sensed that Enlei wasn't like the other children we met from day one. My wolf also sensed it. I could sense it even without phasing.

"Aunt Eve said that they are trying to find him a family." I told her.

"Its just so unfair. He's seven and his family doesn't want him because his mom had him out of wedlock. That's such bullshit. Who thinks like that anymore?!" She cried louder. Uncle Seth came out over to us and sat between us. He put one arm around each of us.

"You kids are pretty amazing and you have amazing hearts. I'm very very proud of you. I know this is hard but there are kids like Enlai all around the world. We do what we can to make a difference and we hope for the best." He said with tears in his eyes. I could tell that he hated it as much as we did but he looked defeated.

"He needs to be home with us uncle Seth. He needs to be ours." Lina complained. Uncle Seth kissed us both and held us against him.

"I know, my sweet girl. I know."

That night, I went for a run and connected my mind with my father's to ask him to phase too. Dad was phased within a minute and I instantly bombarded him with memories of Enlei. I made sure he felt what we were feeling so that he knew how strongly we all felt about Enlei becoming a part of our family. After I finished, my dad showed me that this wasn't the first time he met Enlei. Uncle Seth had already asked to adopt him. I saw in dad's mind that this is the third child in the past five years that aunt Eve and uncle Seth have fallen in love with but he could tell there was something different about Enlai too. Uncle Seth had never been as upset about the other two kids. Dad promised to speak to the council again but as he predicted in the past, the council denied the request. We were all devastated.

I was particularly pissed because I was a true alpha. Technically, my vote should weigh more than the stupid council's vote, especially since my dad was, sort of, on our side but uncle Kal wasn't and that gave the council's decision more power. Liam and I both connected our thoughts to uncle Kal's to try to talk some sense into him. Actually, it was mostly me doing the talking. It was the first time that uncle Kal and I were on opposite sides so it was also the fist time I ever stood up to my uncle. I don't know how I managed to do it bus I was very passionate about this and we got into a huge argument. I vehemently disagreed with his edict but in the end, his mind was made up. '_Sometimes being a leader means making the difficult decisions,_' he told me before he phased back and ended our argument. I understood what he meant but I was still pissed. He wasn't trying to be cruel, he was trying to protect his people but I realized that so was I.

This was when I decided that I wasn't ready to go back home. It wasn't because I was angry at him, it was because I realized I wasn't needed at home. My pack didn't need me. They had two other alphas to protect them. I was needed here, in this village. Even if it was only for a short period of time, I had to do something more than what I had been doing because the truth was that I haven't been doing much with my gifts. For the first time in my life, I felt wrong about the way that I lived my life. Being here made me feel like there was something more to immortality than repeating school and re-living the same story over and over. There were so many people who needed help. Uncle Seth and aunt Eve were doing amazing work as humans and, with me around, we could keep the people in this and the surrounding villages safe from the immortals Mac was talking about. The wolves were all about protecting our lands but there was a whole world out there that needed protection. Who protects them? Who protects kids like Enlei if we are too busy taking care of ourselves?

* * *

**A/N: I know that you are all wondering who Sarah's imprint is going to be so let me just say that next chapter, two more wolves will imprint, so stay tuned.**


	15. Chapter 15

******************************Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all Twilight Saga and characters.**

* * *

**Sarah**

For our last week in China, Liam, Lina and I met up with our families in Beijing to visit all the tourist sites. All of our parents and siblings came except for Harry and Kara because Kara was pregnant. Emma and Will were so happy to be with us. Emma had been pretty pissed that she didn't get to come to begin with but Will was there to calm her all summer. They became very close now that Will was closer to her age.

We went to the great wall, we saw the terracotta army and all the tourist places we could fit into one week. I also did some final touches on a project I had been working on since my confrontation with uncle Kal and my father. The week before my family arrived, I made the motions to set everything in place. The entire week, I was trying to work up my courage to talk to my family about what I wanted to do. We were all eating at a restaurant when I made my announcement.

"I want to defer this semester. I want to stay here and help out with the hospital and the village." I blurted out over dinner. My dad looked at me in shock and mom immediately shook her head but it was uncle Kal who shocked everyone when he beat them to a response. His response even shocked me.

"I think that's an excellent idea. You are a leader and a leader should be connected to the people they protect. Seth and Eve have done a beautiful job at this and will be good mentors for you." He told me. Aunt Leah gave him a warning look. My parents and Liam's parents tried to stay out of each other's parenting but it was impossible. They raised us together in the same house, at the same time. Aunt Leah and uncle Kal felt like my parents and I left like their daughter. It was the same for Liam and my parents. I have been in all of their heads so I knew.

"Hun…" Leah started to scold him but dad cut her off.

"Are you out of your mind? She's a two weeks away from starting Stanford. She has to go to college." Dad said.

"She is immortal, she'll have plenty of opportunities for that. Our children have lead a very sheltered life. There are so many things in this world they have not experienced. This will be good for her." He told him.

"Sheltered? They work hard. They patrol our lands." Mom argued.

"Lands that no enemy vampire would dare to cross because of our great numbers. They barely patrol the lands anymore. We all know this." He told her. Mom was glaring at him, making everyone in the room feel very uncomfortable. Even uncle Paul and aunt Rachel fidgeted uncomfortably even though they were technically the only two grown-ups at the table. Finally, my dad broke the silence.

"Why do you think my daughter needs to be on the other side of the world to learn life lessons? She can learn them at home." He told him. Uncle Kal smiled at him as if dad were some naïve child.

"This child is different from all of us, Jacob. Just as our sons. Learning of things outside her immediate world will help her become the young woman she was born to be. I know she is your child and this is difficult for you. I have been with this child since the day she was born. I have seen her grow and flourish. It is difficult for me as well but I know that this will be a good experience for her. I already see that it has." He said and looked me sympathetically. Our relationship had been a little strained since out last 'chat' and I was glad he was on my side about this. It made me feel like he was proud of me and his approval gave me strength so I finally joined the conversation and made my case.

"I already called Stanford and talked to my councilor. I already sent them a written proposal and they accepted it. I'm not quitting college. They will allow me to do independent study this semester and then I will start the freshmen curriculum in the spring. I even have a professor that is going to mentor me through skype and assign papers about what I'm learning. It will be just like taking a real class." I said to appease them. It didn't work on dad but mom looked like she could be swayed. I would have to talk to her privately later.

Rationally, I knew that I would have to go back eventually. I knew that I couldn't just up and quit my other life or my other responsibilities. Even though the thought of leaving the village defenseless made me feel guilty, I was only one person. I couldn't protect every single human in the world that needed protecting. I also knew I needed to go to college and get an education but, for now, that part could wait. I needed to stay in the village and help out in my new community. I looked over to Liam and Lina because this was news to them too. They looked a bit angry.

"That's what you were working on last week?" Liam asked me. I nodded. He didn't seem happy. Lina was upset too. My parents both looked at each other.

"Ok. Seth and Eve are coming back tomorrow with Enlei. Your mom and I are going to talk about it and we'll tell you tomorrow after we talk to Seth." Dad said. I nodded. Lina and Liam didn't look happy with me at all.

Liam and Lina were quiet the rest of the evening. I finally confronted them about it later that night. We sat at the porch of our high-rise condo/vacation suite looking down at the city. It was such a different view from the last few weeks we had experienced.

"So are you two going to give me the silent treatment?" I asked them. They didn't respond immediately but then, Lina broke our silence.

"Even though, I thought the look on uncle Jake's face was classic, I don't like it when we are apart Sarah. We had to wait two years to finally be together and now you want to be a world away from us." Lina complained.

"I agree." Liam said. I felt really bad and selfish. For the past few weeks, the more I thought about staying the more right it felt and I began to feel more at peace with myself. It was something I haven't felt for a long time which was why I decided to talk to Stanford without telling them. This was _my_ cause and I couldn't let them talk me out of it.

"Its only one semester." I said trying to appease them. We were all silent for a moment and then Lina sighed.

"I guess we can stay with you." Lina suggested.

"We can't just drop everything and come here for a semester!" Liam exclaimed, annoyed.

"Well we have to do something. A semester is too long. It doesn't feel right to be so far apart for an entire semester. And you know every well that we are stronger together." Lina told him but her words were meant for me. She was referring to Mac's warnings about this side of the world being more dangerous. We didn't tell anybody about her warnings but I couldn't help the way I felt. This felt completely right.

"It doesn't feel right to be apart but I don't think it'll be that easy for me." Liam explained.

"You guys don't need to put your lives on hold for me. I'm sorry I kept this from you but I felt this was a decision I had to make on my own. I have this feeling that I _need_ to be here. You remember how when I first phased I always felt like I wanted to run somewhere?" I asked them.

"Yeah." Lina said.

"I don't feel like running anymore. I feel a sense of anticipation, like something important is going to happen. Like I'm meant to be here." I told them.

"Is this something important a good thing or bad thing?" Lina asked me.

"Good, I think."

"Are you sure that this isn't about your obsessive need to protect and take care of _everybody_. You know you will have to go back eventually right?" Liam asked me. I nodded.

"Look, I know that I've been very protective of the people here but this isn't just about my need to protect others. I know I am not a superhero and I know that I can't stay to protect them forever but for right now, I feel like I am exactly where I need to be. I don't know what will happen. Maybe it will be something amazing like maybe I get to save someone's life or maybe there is something more that I need to learn about the people here. Who knows? Maybe it'll be something simple like getting an epiphany about what to do with my life. I still haven't decided what I want to major in. All I know is that I'm not done with the work in the village and I really need you guys to be ok with this." I confessed to them. Lina and Liam both looked at each other.

"I'll stay. I can do half time this semester. I can take at least two of my classes online. I'll drop the other two classes. It will give me a chance to put in some more hours in the hospital so at least it will be a good learning experience." Lina told him.

"All the undergrad classes are full so its not like I can just drop them. I just don't think the school will let me defer my semester." Liam said to Lina as if I wasn't there with them.

"You don't have to. I said I'll say with her. Its not like we both need to be here. Uncle Seth and aunt Eve will be with us too." Lina told him. I really hated when they talked like I wasn't there but after so many years, I was used to it so I just stayed quiet until they finished.

"I don't know... I don't like the idea of you two alone here without me and I sure as hell don't like that I'm going to have to start college without my two best friends." He grumbled.

"Aww. But you'll have Henry with you to give you company." Lina said mockingly and put her arm around his shoulder.

"Ugh! Don't remind me of that douche! Just thinking of him makes me want to drop out and stay here."

"You guys really don't need to do that." I told them again. I didn't want them to mess up their plans. I was the one going through a period of self-growth, not them. They finally looked at me.

"I think we would both be more at ease if at least one of us was here and it really is no problem for me to take these two classes online. Besides, being two states away was bad enough. I refuse to be two continents away from you. Especially knowing you're _here_." She told me in warning. I wasn't going to argue because I knew she could use Mac's warning against me to make my parents force me to return home.

"Fine. You and I stay here and Liam babysits Henry for a semester." I said and patted Liam's knee.

"Great! I guess its my turn to be lone wolf." He grumbled. Lina and I smiled at him sympathetically. I was going to have to get used to him grumbling because he was going to be grumpy and whiny all semester long.

The next day uncle Seth and aunt Eve arrived with Enlai. Uncle Seth had to pay Enlei's uncle to let him come. It was maddening but I was glad Enlei was going to meet my family. They came over to the hotel early in the morning so only my mom and I were awake. I was convincing her let me stay in China while I helped her make breakfast. After taking the night to consider it, she was already on board so it didn't take much effort. I opened the door to our suite to let my family in.

"Hi!" My mom said excited as soon as Uncle Seth walked in with little Enlei. "Nǐ hǎo." She told Enlai. He smiled and said hello back to my mom before he spotted breakfast on the table. We all sat for breakfast and the rest of the family started waking up one by one, beginning with my dad. He sat at the head of the table with a long pout that was almost comical. Uncle Seth looked at him and then he turned to me smirking.

"So what's this about you deferring the semester?" Uncle Seth asked me. I guessed he and dad talked last night.

"I feel like I need to be here." I told him simply.

"Your dad wants us to talk you out of it but I already told him its fine by us." Aunt Eve said. Uncle Seth chucked as dad crossed his arms and stared daggers at her. Mom smiled. I already knew she was going to say yes regardless of what dad said.

"I'm sorry, man, but if the kid wants to stay, I'm not going to tell her no. She's 18 and she already talked to Stanford. That shows some initiative. Besides, we could sure could use the help at the hospital. They have all been doing really amazing work. You should be proud of them." Uncle Seth told him as Lina came out the door rubbing her eyes.

"I'm staying with you too. I'll do half time and take two online classes. It won't be a problem for me." She said in a yawn and sat at the table. Mom set a mug of hot coffee in front of her. She knew Lina wasn't a morning person.

"You don't have to do that honey. Won't that set you back?" Mom asked her concerned.

"Noope. " She said yawning again and took a sip of her coffee. "It will be a good learning experience for me too and uncle Seth is right. They really need the help. Nǐ hǎo. Yīngjùn." She told Enlai. He giggled at her accent and kept eating.

"And what did your parents say about this." Dad asked her. Aunt Rachel came out of her room and into the small dining room at that moment.

"I am 20 years old. I don't think I have to ask my parents for permission." Lina told him.

"Think again." Aunt Rachel told her as she sat next to her. "Now what permission do you need?"

"She wants to do half time to spend the semester here. She wants to do only _two_ online classes which will probably set back her graduation." Dad informed his sister in a disapproving tone that made his opinion on the matter very clear. Aunt Rachel looked at both of us then she looked at my dad.

"Sorry little bro. I don't have a problem with it and neither will Paul." She said with a shrug.

"You guys all suck!" He said and left for the porch of the suite. Uncle Paul came out then with Emma a few minutes later. We were all eating. Emma looked just as sleepy as Lina did. She spotted the food before she saw anything else. As soon as she sat she looked up and saw the cute little Chinese boy in front of her. Her eyes widened and she dropped her toast.

"Oh come on! Can't I have breakfast in peace?!" Uncle Paul whined as soon as he saw what happened. Enlai got up from his chair and went over to sit next to Emma. He was 8 and already he felt the connection. I felt sick. Its like I couldn't escape it! Uncle Kal and aunt Leah came out of their rooms when they heard the commotion. My dad also came back into the dining room.

"What?" Dad asked immediately, then he caught Emma's dumbfounded look and realized what happened. He smiled.

"Well Sarah, I guess you can tell the council to suck it after all." He said with a smirk referring to my outburst during my argument with uncle Kal. I blushed remembering what I said but uncle Kal didn't look offended. He looked pleased. Dad's words made the awful feeling at the pit of my stomach disappear because I finally realized what this meant. I was so self-absorbed in my own drama that I almost missed the fact that, now that Enlai was an imprint, the council couldn't say no about the adoption.

"Really?" Aunt Eve asked him with tears in her eyes. She was grabbing uncle Seth's hand tightly. Dad and I looked at uncle Kal who just nodded.

"You have our word. He's your son now." Uncle Kal told her. She took Enlei in her arms and hugged him tightly. Seth also hugged him. Lina and I both looked at each other with the same expression. Lina hugged her sister and kissed her. Emma still looked slightly shocked but she also looked happy. Everyone was excited about the new addition to our family. Liam and William eventually woke up and joined us. They couldn't believe what happened but in a way we all knew all along that Enlai belonged with us.

* * *

Uncle Seth and aunt Eve were happy to be parents. They knew there was something different about Enlai and he was the reason they had spent over 2 years in China instead of the usual year they spent in other countries. Uncle Seth started the adoption process almost immediately. Enlai's uncle was more than happy to sign him over to us after we waved some Cullen money in front of him. They were so happy about bringing Enlai into our family but the official paperwork would take time. I felt bad for Emma. It was very difficult for her to leave by the end of the trip but she was happy they wouldn't be apart for long.

Enlai had already been learning English but when he moved in with us his English started blossoming. He was such a smart kid. Since he was learning English so quickly, Emma was able to talk to him on skype every day but it was painful for her to be away from him. It would take a while for the government paperwork to move through the system and uncle Seth couldn't move to the rez with him until he had the official paperwork.

After a couple of weeks of seeing their daughter in misery, uncle Paul and aunt Rachel decided they were going to move to China. Most of the pack families let aunt Alice manage their finances so almost the entire pack was in a position to quit their jobs if they wanted to. Uncle Paul was also in finance too so he volunteered to help out at the hospital and aunt Rachel became a volunteer teacher at the local school. Emma was doing her high school curriculum online like Lina and they were both volunteering with me in the afternoons. It was great having the family together. I especially loved having my cousins around because it was like having an all girl pack. Uncle Seth usually didn't have time to run with us so we would patrol together at nights, have races, talk about girl stuff. It was such a different dynamic compared to having stupid boys in my head.

I worked very hard helping out with the new addition to the hospital, with the irrigation systems, and I also worked on repairing the local school. Being involved with the people really helped me feel at peace and I felt like my life had some purpose. I never realized how much I needed purpose in my life and it made me think that this was part of the reason why I was so involved in my pack's life and why I was had such a hard time letting go of them when it was time to go to college. My world was so complicated and it was everlasting. I realized that I would never be able to live like my grandparents and repeat high school and college over and over for the rest of eternity. I needed to find some purpose, like aunt Eve and uncle Seth and grandpa Carlisle or I would go insane. The problem was that I really didn't like medicine. I needed to find something different. Something that was my own. Helping out in the village was a start but it was temporary because eventually, I would have to leave them. I needed to find something more meaningful and permanent so that I could continue it throughout eternity. Perhaps when I finally started college I might figure out what that was, but for now, I was enjoying my work in the village with my family.

We all lived in the same village housing so we would often have sleepovers at uncle Seth's to be with Enlai. One night, about 3 months after my announcement, all the us kids were together having a sleepover. Dad had sent us some movies and we watched them on aunt Eve's computer. We all fell asleep on the floor after the second movie. I woke up early in the morning with an urge to run unlike anything I have ever felt before. I was holding both Enlai and Emma who were cuddled up with one another. On the opposite side of Emma, Lina was spooning her sister. It was adorable. I moved very carefully so that I didn't wake them and then I snuck out for a run.

Lina, Emma and I ran the area around the nearby villages and towns before but my urge to run took me further north than I had ever dared to run before. I knew I should turn back but I simply couldn't. I had never felt the urge to run as strongly as I did now and the more I ran, the stronger it got. I felt a little guilty because I remembered that Mac specifically warned me to stay with my pack. In the back of my mind, I worried that I vampire might come across my scent and the trail would lead back straight to my pack but I simply couldn't stop. I hoped that since I didn't smell exactly like the other wolves, most vampires would not be able to tell what I was if they did come across my scent.

I ran at top speed for over an hour before I caught the scent of vampires. Last time I encountered a vampire, I almost died. I was human at the time but I had never fought a vampire in my wolf form either. I was afraid but my wolf wasn't. It was like she was exhilarated but then I heard the screaming. My instinct took over at that moment and I ran even faster when I heard the screaming had stopped. I knew it was stupid. That human was probably already dead. My pack was asleep at home. Even if I used my telepathy to call them, they would be too far to help me but, if there was any chance that I could save someone, I had to try. I wasn't going to ignore someone's cry for help because I was possibly outnumbered. My sense of protection was stronger than my sense of survival.

I was alone in my head so there was no one to talk me out of it. I followed the scent and, within minutes, I was able to smell blood. I saw the lifeless body before I could really compute that the vampire draining the man was no ordinary vampire. I jumped into the air to surprise the leech that was still latched to the dead man but the leech wasn't alone. I was caught midair and pined onto a tree before I ever got to the hooded leech over the lifeless body of the human.

This leech wasn't hooded and his angry blue gray eyes drowned any thought in my head except one. 'Mine.' I instantly stopped writhing and phased back as I felt every connection I once held pluck away within milliseconds until there was only one left. His. It was strange how in that moment the feeling of emptiness that had been present most of my life was suddenly gone and I didn't feel like running or waiting anymore because I was home. I was his. His eyes widened in shock and then narrowed as his stare bore into mine. There was a combination of fury and possibly fear in them. He hissed a curse and another hooded leech approached us.

"Sarah?!" She exclaimed as she removed her hood. My imprint looked at her and I was finally released from his stare. I looked at the other leech too. I recognized her and I instantly remembered her name. It was Grace.

"Leave." My imprint told her. His voice sounded off but it was still as beautiful as I remembered. Even though I wasn't moving, my imprint was still holding me against the tree by my shoulders as if he was trying to make sure I didn't attack again. The other leech finally let go of the human and stood next to Grace. He removed his hood and his eyes were deadly.

"She attacked us. Her life is forfeit." He complained.

"Leave, now!" He growled at him with a ferocity that made me shiver. I liked his velvety voice even when it was angry and ferocious. Grace removed her hooded robe, handing it to my imprint, and then she grabbed the other leech by the arm.

"Come on Santos." She told him. Santos gave me one last hateful look before they both left. My imprint turned to me again. He looked just like I remembered him, only madder. His face was hard and angry and absolutely beautiful. I couldn't believe that I had imprinted on _him_, the man who saved me, Duilio de Volturi.

"I can't believe it's you." I told him in awe. He let me go wordlessly and handed me Grace's robe.

"Dress yourself." He said sternly and turned away. I noticed that his voice was off as if he were trying to control something within himself. 'Maybe he was shocked to see me. Maybe he was feeling the effects of the imprint,' I hoped. I put on the ugly maroon robe and cleared my throat to let him know I was dressed. He turned around and he looked at me angrily again.

"What the hell were you thinking?! If any other guard were here you would have been killed on the spot for attacking us!" He yelled. His anger made me tremble slightly.

"I caught the scent of vampires and I heard the human scream. My pack is too far away to wait for them so I had to…" His hiss interrupted me.

"You're alone! Again!" He yelled louder. I could feel his waves of anger, fear and frustration. He looked away as if looking at me was making it hard for him to think. I has having a hard time too. I knew I had to explain what happened between us so I took advantage of the fact that he wasn't distracting me with his fierce beautiful eyes and I tried to find the right words to tell him he was my imprint.

"I felt you. You drew me here and I, I…" He suddenly tuned and grabbed me by my neck tightly before he pinned me against the tree again, only this time he wasn't trying to hold me still. He was attacking me. It was so sudden that I didn't even have time to react. I was just shocked by the abrupt change in the energy between us.

"I know exactly what happened, _mutt_, and the only reason I haven't killed you for it is out of respect for your mother and your grandparents! I am a Volturi Master! Who the hell do you think you are to lay claim on _me_?!" He growled at my face with such viciousness that I trembled again, but, unlike before, I was actually scared.

I looked at him scared for the very first time and it was shocking to see the loathing in his expression. Where was the man who saved my life? Where was the man who held me in his arms when my best friend was turned into a vampire? Where was the man that loved my best friend like his own daughter? I didn't understand. It was like the man Mac described, the man I had imagined, was all a lie. I felt a tear roll down my cheek and he loosened his grip on my neck.

"I can't control what happened. Its destiny. You're my imprint, my soul mate…" I tried to explain. His face inched closer to me as if he were examining the expression on my face.

"Did you really think I would ever allow a dog to be _my_ mate?" His eyes were furious and his voice was hateful.

"But I was born for you..." I told him in a whisper. My voice was so heartbroken that I could barely recognize it. He backed way, releasing me, and shook his head angrily, breaking his eye contact. I was glad for that small mercy.

"Ignorant child. Go home to your family and your school girl friends. Let your them help you forget this ever happened and move on with your simple life. Don't give me or this imprint another thought because I certainly will not give you a another thought. " His voice was still harsh. His words felt like razors against my heart. I fell to my knees completely weakened by his hatred and harsh treatment. He started to walk away but then he stopped and looked back as me again. This time, I didn't meet his eyes because I simply couldn't take his look of loathing anymore.

"And Sarah, it is only out of respect for your family that I'm overlooking your attack and leaving you here in one piece but trust when I say that this is the last time I save you. If you come after me, if we ever cross paths again, I'll let the fact that you're Renesmee's daughter slip out of my mind and I will kill you myself!" He turned around and left without a second thought or even looking back to make sure I was ok.

I just stayed motionless for a moment, frozen, as the waves of shock started to settle and the gravity of what happened began to sink in. That's when the pain really hit me. If I thought I knew pain before I was wrong. I have never felt anything like this in my entire life. It was like every muscle in my body was cramping. Even muscles I never felt before. The worst pain was the one of my chest. I collapsed on the ground into a fetal position, sobbing. Imprinting was supposed to be the best thing that ever happened to me. That's what everybody told me. That my life would change for the better. I should have known they would be wrong. I should have known that imprinting would only bring my demise. My wolf felt weak so I doubted that I would be able to phase. Not that I wanted to. I didn't want anyone to have to feel this pain. So I stayed in my human form crumbled and alone.

Nobody heard my cries or knew of my pain because I was trying to control my connection to the pack. I didn't want any of pack to feel what I was feeling at the moment but I knew that I was loosing control fast. No, it was more than that. I was loosing my mind, my heart, my life. It was only a matter of time before they would be able to sense it. With what little strength I had left, I closed myself off from my packs until I couldn't feel them anymore. The wolf was a pack animal and I was a true alpha. Breaking the connection from the packs caused me even more pain. I felt like I was on fire again, electrified, slowly scorched from the inside, just like the first time I phased. I welcomed the fire. It was a nice distraction from the pain of my imprint's rejection. The rejection weighted at me like chains, choking me slowly.

I looked at the sky and saw a bird looking at me. It was a hawk of some kind. It reminded me of uncle Kal. How I wished I could be free like he was. I loved being in his mind when he was in the air. There was nothing like it. Its no wonder that we was able to forget his past. I looked at the hawk and in my soul I begged it to take me with it, to help me fly away from this pain that was swallowing me whole. Something strange happened. The hawk flapped its wings and flew into the sky but instead of getting further form me I saw it come closer and closer. The sky was closer too. I looked down and saw a cloak on the ground. I recognized it and images of pain flashed in my mind. I immediately pushed the images away and continued to fly. I was a bird and I let the instinct of freedom take me away from the darkness, from the pain. I was free. I didn't know where I was flying off to but my instinct told me I had to be somewhere. I just didn't know why.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! I _really_ hope you guys like this imprint match because I have been trying to subtly foreshadow Duilio and Sarah's imprint since Immortal. Hence, Nessie's instant connection to Duilio and his to her; Jacob's need to protect Duilio as if he was already a part of his pack; Duilio's ease into pack life after being with them for such a short period of time (it was easier for Duilio to be liked by the pack than it was for Chris); Duilio's inconsistency about the way he treated Sarah in the past (he decided wanted her to hate him but then he sent her a present for her BD), etc. I know it doesn't seem like a good match, now, but you will see why these two belong together soon and things will become more clear as the story goes along. PS. Things are about to get very intriguing for Sarah and Duilio. ;-)**


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